A Miko's Secret Heart
by 20FacesChizu
Summary: Kagome's power was always stunning. And despite her being Kikyo's reincarnation, there was a different reason why. Plans will go awry, and spells will break. In the end, love will bring disaster, before the sun will shine again. -Repost Complete-
1. The Broken Identity

_**Disclaimer:** Takahashi Rumiko owns all characters, including Inu-kun. I'm just using them for fun right now. Cover art is by dA's **Ebony-of-the-Moon**.  
_

_**Note:** This story is an alternate everything for just after episode 97 'Kirara Come Home!'. Some later facts may be mixed in by accident, forgive me if there are._

**_A Miko's Secret Heart _**

_Kyuubi Tenshi_

**Chapter 1- The Broken Identity**

The afternoon was dark, and the clouds hung low in the sky, heavy with rain. Inuyasha and the others were speeding towards Kaede's hut with Kagome clinging to Inuyasha's neck and Sango, Miroku, and Shippou on Kirara's back. Not a single droplet had fallen yet, but the hanyou's nose insisted that it wouldn't hold for much longer. Suddenly a scream ripped forth from Kagome's lungs, and she let go of Inuyasha's haori. Falling to the ground, she clutched her head in severe pain.

Stopping immediately to examine the gasping miko, Inuyasha signaled the others to continue on to Kaede's without them.

"Kagome? Come on, we've got to get to the village before the storm breaks! What's wrong with you?" he asked with half-masked worry as he helped her to her feet. Standing, Kagome once again felt pain flood through her head. Moaning and rubbing her head once more she turned to Inuyasha.

"I don't know what happened, Inuyasha, I just know it hurt!" Gasping, she dropped to one knee once again beneath the pain. This time it had spread to her eyes, ears and fingers. Again, a scream ripped forth from her lungs as she held herself in pain. Inuyasha was now truly worried.

_Even when she's hurt badly she never complains. This time it's like a female dog with a bad wound: she snaps at the very person who is trying to help her out of pain. This is really bad,_ he thought. Deciding on his course of action, he helped Kagome up, wrapped one arm around her waist and the other around her thighs, picked her up, and started for the well.

"What are you doing?!" she managed to gasp out before her body was once again racked with pain. He glanced down at her as he once as he took another giant leap into the air.

"I'm taking you home. If it hurts enough for you of all people to complain then it must be bad enough to take you home until you're better," he said as he landed softly next to the one connection through time that they had. The Bone Eater's Well was the reason that Kagome was in the Feudal Era in the first place, and Inuyasha was forever thankful to it and the Goshinboku for bringing her to him. Noticing that the pain had gotten to where she could only whimper and cling to him as if for dear life, he hurriedly jumped down the well and was met with the familiar blue and violet lights of the time portal.

Once arriving on the other side, he immediately exited and started running towards her home. Unfortunately, he didn't manage to get there without being seen as it just so happened that Eri, Ayumi, Yuka, and Hojo had been there trying to drop off some chicken soup and a few other things for Kagome's little 'flu bug' that she had supposedly acquired.

"Hey you! What're you doing with Kagome?!" yelled Eri when she spotted him. Not bothering to waste any time trying to make a quick exit, he pushed straight through the four of them yelling for Ms. Higurashi to come quickly.

"What is the matter Inuyasha? Why are you carrying Kagome? I though she wasn't supposed to come back for another few days!" she said as she escorted them inside with Kagome's schoolmates close behind, curious about this strange silver-haired newcomer.

"Wait a minute," said Ayumi as they followed Ms. Higurashi and Inuyasha up the stairs, "are those dog ears on top of your head?!"

"Your point? Can I just get Kagome comfortable without a hassle? Then you can pet my ears all you want to, ok?" he replied irritably. Stepping through Kagome's open doorway and walking over to her bed he gently began to set her down, but the first thing she did was to pull him closer.

"Please don't leave! I want you here… with me… I need you…" she managed to whisper into his shoulder through the pain. Understanding that she was not only in pain, but also in fear, he obliged by covering her up and then letting her curl against him between his legs as he leaned against the headboard of her bed. This position that he was in was one that succeeded very well in making Hojo _super_ jealous.

Ayumi wandered over to the stranger and gently touched one of his ears. The light stroke succeeded in tickling said ear, and made it flick against the annoyance. "They are real!" she quietly exclaimed to no one in particular.

"Higurashi-san, who is this guy, and why is he holding Kagome like that?" Hojo asked in a rather strained voice. He seriously did not appreciate Inuyasha coming on to _his_ girl **at all**. Ms. Higurashi had gone into the bathroom to retrieve a bowl of water and a wet washcloth, and after hearing this upon her return realized that he was referring to Inuyasha_. Well this is going to be a sticky situation. I'll explain to them what's happening with Kagome, and then when she wakes up she can explain the situation with the Feudal Era,_ she thought to herself as she folded the cloth onto her daughter's forehead.

"His name is Inuyasha," she began calmly, "and he is a very close friend of Kagome's. In fact, there's no telling how many times this young man has probably saved her life. Inuyasha, have you met Kagome's schoolmates? This is Hojo, that's Eri, this one is Yuka, and the one that petted you ear was Ayumi."

"Why _does_ he have dog ears?" Ayumi asked with obvious interest. Yuka looked at the rest of them in disgust.

"Here we are talking about dog-boy when we should really be asking about Kagome! Higurashi-san, do you have any inkling as to what is wrong with her? I mean she's having convulsions like a snake bit her or something!" and then, as if on a sudden thought, she turned to look at Inuyasha with an evil glare. "Did _you_ do this to her?!" she screeched.

Angered that one of Kagome's peers would even suggest such a thing, a low growl flowed forth from deep within the chest of the haninu, and upon hearing the noise, each of the teens backed away from the enraged boy. After a moment, though, the growl stopped abruptly, and the scowl on his face was transformed into a look of surprise. Everyone's attention focused on the pained girl in the red-clad teen's lap, for she was whispering something so softly that no one could hear save for the man that she was holding close to her at that very moment. Ayumi managed to whisper the question to Ms. Higurashi as to what Kagome was saying, but Inuyasha was the only one who could answer.

"She's singing," he whispered, "I know this song. She sings it to Shippou sometimes when he can't sleep, or to Sango when she has the nightmares about Kohaku:"

_Even when your dreams have shattered,_

_And hope exists in another realm,_

_The Dark side of the moon._

_Cry to him, the Master,_

_The Lion, the Rock;_

_He can even heal the_

_Dark side of the Moon._

_(A/N: I own. You steal, you die. I have friends in three different parts of the Military.)_

The whole while that she had been singing, and he had been repeating, the ailing miko had been gently stroking the silvery locks that had fallen about her. Inuyasha could hear the strain in her voice, though, and understood that the singing was supposed to calm him down. To show her that he understood, he gently pushed her bangs aside and ran his claws through her hair. Looking to Ms. Higurashi for an explanation, he said, "I agree with Yuka. The attention should be on Kagome. But I bet you know exactly what's going on with her, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," she said, nodding her head in confirmation. "Inuyasha, do you know in what part of the cycle the moon is tonight?"

"Yeah, the new moon. That was one reason I was in such a hurry to get to Kaede-baba's. Why do you ask?" he queried in a confused tone.

"I ask because it is most likely that the others do not know. What they do know is that Kagome's 16th birthday was three days ago. Now is the time to explain what is happening to her," she said, pausing to take a breath before beginning the story.

"To get one thing out of the way, Kagome is not a human. She's a hanyou. Both she and Souta. They're inu hanyou, to be perfectly precise. Their father was an inu youkai named Tetsuya no Inu. He and I fell in love when I was 17, and we were married about a year later. When I became pregnant with Kagome, he told me about how everyone had always rejected those that were neither youkai nor ningen. So he insisted that I use my inherited miko powers to place a spell over her while she was still in my womb that would make her appear to be a human until the first new moon after her 16th birthday.

"Unfortunately, we cast the spell too early and her body didn't develop as it would've normally. So the process of becoming her true form hurts more because the of the youkai blood trying to assert itself quickly and bring out her hanyou features. We didn't make the same mistake with Souta, but my powers had been so used up on the spell with Kagome that I couldn't maintain the ability to have the spell terminate in the same way that Kagome's would. So the power was passed to her, only she can remove the spell, and only after the spell on she, herself, had been removed. Thus, this night is her transformation. Tonight she must finish growing up."

Everyone was silent, save for the light moans from the teenage priestess that lay in the arms of her fellow hanyou, unknowing as to what had just been explained. Inuyasha gently soothed the resting girl as she whimpered in her sleep. Looking to him, Yuka spoke.

"Well, I only feel a little bit more friendly towards you, hanyou, so don't press your luck. And since Higurashi-san just told us about Kags being a hanyou, and you being one too, that means that both of you had youkai fathers and human mothers, correct?" Inuyasha nodded a yes. "I guess that explains Ayumi's question as to the dog ears thing," she finished.

"So, Inuyasha is it? Well, I was just wondering… how did you meet Kagome? I mean where would she dig up a guy like you?" asked Eri, giving him the once-over, taking in the extra comfortable/heavy duty style of his fire-rat kimono, the hilt and saya of his Tetsusaiga, and his mid-rear length silver-white hair.

"Try the Sengoku Jidai. Ask Kagome to explain the whole deal, ok? But right now she's trying to sleep, so can we keep the noise to a minimum? She just got back from hunting a snake youkai, and now she transforming into her true self. I believe she would probably like to have a _peaceful_, **_uninterrupted_**, rest!" he said, a low growl accenting the sentence to where they would be sure to understand its finalistic nature. Scooting the others out the doors, Ms. Higurashi turned to Inuyasha.

"When she wakes up, I want you to be the one to tell her everything, alright? I think she might take it fairly well if you tell her rather than me," she told him with a confident smile. "Get some rest." Inuyasha then decided to oblige her. In a matter of hours, he would be human.

* * *

**AN: Just so you know, even I am disappointed in this chapter, now that I go back and read it. So sue me; this was when I was still pretty much a newbie. Like... when I was 14. Meaning I had about three months experience. I'm older and wiser now. BWAHAHAHAHA! I AM 16 YEARS OLD! FEAR ME, VERMIN! (_coughs_) No, not really. Okay, yeah, I'm 16, but the rest of that you can ignore. Either way, don't judge my writing by this, since I've improved a hundred fold. And continue reading, 'cause about the 10th chapter the quality level skyrockets from where it is right now. Ja!**

**REVIEW, ONEGAI!**


	2. The Broken Life

**Chapter 2- The Broken Life**

Kagome began to awaken about ten minutes before sunrise. Inuyasha had awoken about half an hour before. Seeing that she was waking up, he shifted to a more comfortable position. Gazing down into her face, Inuyasha couldn't help but think about how angelic she looked. At that moment, Kagome opened her eyes slightly, and lifted them to meet his.

_She's still the same. I wonder if the new moon is her night too? After all, the sun has yet to rise and she's still human. I wonder how she will react to being hanyou? I know she says she accepts me as one, but does she really? If she reacts badly, will that mean that she doesn't?_ he couldn't help but think as he watched her smile up at him sleepily. Sitting up, she yawned and greeted him.

"Inuyasha…?" she mumbled drowsily as she leaned against him once again. "I forgot that tonight was your human night. Is everything going ok so far?"

"You mean last night, Kagome, and everything was fine. We're in your time, remember? The only thing that went wrong is that your friends found me out," he said, giving her one of his rare smiles. She couldn't help but notice the missing fangs, and the human features just seemed out of place on her usually un-human companion. Then she noticed that there was something wrong about the expression on his face; the smile didn't quite seem to reach his eyes. He looked like he was trying to disguise underlying concern for her…

"Inuyasha, is something wrong? You look worried! I'm not hurting anymore, and everything seems ok… wait a minute," she said, suddenly bolting into an upright position, "did you say that my friends found you out?! They saw you?! When?! How?!" she started, half yelling and near hysteria. That was about the time she realized what position he and she were in, her body only about four inches away from his, half of one at the closest point, and her hands on either side of his waist. Kagome was a little off-balance already due to finding out that her friends had seen him, but seeing their close proximity to each other finished off what was left of her composure. She quickly removed herself from the compromising position by pulling back and jumping off the bed and backing up towards the door.

"There's no reason to be scared! Nothing happened, ok? They're all ok with me, I promise, and your mother was here when I got here. They haven't done anything to me, and I haven't done anything to them, so calm down please!" he pleaded softly, getting up and walking over to her. She backed up a step or two, and at this Inuyasha stopped advancing.

"What's wrong, then?" she asked in a hoarse and urgent whisper. "Why do you look scared and concerned for me? You smiled, and yet something wasn't complete about it…" she trailed off, an anxious appearance on her face. Inuyasha's expression saddened. Taking her by the hand, he led her to the bathroom and had her stand in front of the mirror just as the sun came up.

The look on her face was one of complete alarm as she watched herself change. Her once plain mid-back length black hair grew to about mid-thigh, and dark green began glinting and highlighting the strands. Delicate fangs began to grow where her human canines were moments before. Soft, more slender dog-ears began to show themselves atop her head as her normal human ears disappeared. But the most beautiful feature of all was her new eyes. The outside was the same dark green of the hair, and the inside ring around the pupil was a gorgeous white gold.

A small tear slid down Kagome's cheek, and at this Inuyasha's ears laid back in depression, for he too had transformed into his real self. Her reaction hadn't been as good as he had hoped. Inu looked up to see her still staring at her reflection in the mirror.

"Your mother told us about you being a hanyou last night. You had already drifted off to sleep. She thought you might take it better if I told you. I'm sorry," he whispered softly as he turned to leave. Just as he reached the threshold, though, he felt her tug gently on the sleeve of his haori.

"Inuyasha, you don't need to apologize!" Kagome said in a soft voice. "I'm not crying because I'm sad, I'm crying because this is like a dream come true! I was going to ask you to give me the Shikon so that I could use it to become hanyou… I- I was already planning to live in the Feudal Era…"

Inuyasha turned to her quickly, searching her eyes as if he was asking for confirmation as to what he had just heard. A small smile spread across Kagome's features as she realized this was probably the reason that he never wanted her to leave the Sengoku Jidai. He was afraid she wouldn't return!

She reached for his hand and began to lead him down the stairs to the living room where everyone was camped out. Once there, she looked around for some effective method of waking the four teens, and her younger brother, up. Telling Inuyasha to stay put, she ran up to her room and came back with an air horn. Sneaking up right next to Eri, she glanced up at Inuyasha and gave him a wink, and then pressed the button. The five young people screamed as they jumped up to be greeted by a hysterically laughing Kagome and a really freaked-out looking Inuyasha.

"Kagome?! What was that for?! I was dead asleep!" Eri yelled at her. "Wait a minute! Kagome?! Wow! You look so weird! Your eyes are green and metallic white! What's with that?"

The others then looked up to get an eyeful of the new Kagome. Especially Hojo, who was in complete shock in view of the beautiful countenance of the inu hanyou miko. He got up and walked over to Kagome and looked her over.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, Kagome! Tell me, how much sharper are you senses? Do you still see in color? Is your balance affected…?" he managed to ask with avid interest before she cut him off with a giggle.

"Hojo, please! Take it easy! Thank you, my senses are much sharper, yes I still see in full color, and no my balance is not affected. I'm glad that you're not afraid of me in my new form," she said with an amused tone. She couldn't help but think once again how she wished Inuyasha had Hojo or Kouga's confidence. She grinned at them, baring her new fangs in the process. Souta's reaction to that was just as expected.

"I have the _coolest_ sister in the **world**!" And at that, Kagome let out a giggle and Inuyasha couldn't help but think about how he'd react if he knew that he was one, too.

"Kags? I have a question," said Ayumi. Kagome turned to look at her as her ears perked, showing that she was listening. "Well, I was wondering… Inuyasha said that you found him in the Sengoku Jidai; how is that possible?" she wondered, slightly nervous about asking.

Kagome gave her a blank stare for a moment before the question sank in.

"OH! Well, it happened… well, a year ago as of my birthday! On my 15th birthday I was pulled through well by Mistress Centipede…"

* * *

About two hours later Kagome finished relating the happenings in her life that went on in the past year. Her friends were amazed, to say the least, and awe of them rested on each of her their faces. Souta and Ms. Higurashi looked like they had just now heard of Kagome's adventures with Inuyasha, and were staring at her in a dazed shock. But Ms. Higurashi soon snapped out of her stupor and smiled at her.

"Well, at least now I know all the details of your adventures. I am a little worried about your going after this… Naraku character, but now you at least have your real form to protect you, as well as Inuyasha and the others. I just hope you stay safe," she said, her features suddenly marred with grief. This sudden sadness was soon covered by a more cheerful visage, but not fast enough as to escape Kagome's perception.

"Mom? Is something wrong? Why did you look so upset?" she asked, her tone showing her worry. Her mother never looked that way, and the only time she ever took on a sad countenance at all was when reminiscing about her father! Ms. Higurashi exchanged a doleful look with Ayumi before answering.

"Everything is… well… more than just a little dire. First of all, Jiichan died three days ago, and I had no way to tell you," she said sorrowfully, and noted that Kagome's eyes were becoming tearful, and Inuyasha had gripped her hand a slight bit tighter. "And that's only half of it."

Her tears began to fall. Inuyasha was becoming more and more uncomfortable; he never knew what to do with the attractive miko when she shed tears. He reached up and attempted to wipe the them away, but they just kept coming. Ms. Higurashi went on.

"Business hasn't been good lately, and we've lost so much money that we can no longer keep up the shrine. We're going to have to sell it," she said, a few droplets now threatening to spill from her own eyes. "Luckily for us, though, Ayumi's family has offered to buy the shrine from us. At least that way we will know it is in good hands, and you will be able to have a contact on this side of the well," she finished, drying a stray tear.

There was complete silence around the room. Each of Kagome's friends looked completely distressed, and none seemed to know what to do. But, after a moment, Kagome's tears stopped falling, and she began to speak.

"It would never do," she said, "for me to leave you here. I'm taking you with me to the Sengoku Jidai. All I have to do is give you both a jewel shard, and sew one into Buyo's collar temporarily, and then have each of you go down the well. If you have a jewel shard it should let you through."

"It's so bizarre," started Inuyasha, "it just might work!"

* * *

**AN: I reread this chapter about a week ago... and in light of my current ability... this sucked. I mean, SERIOUSLY sucked. (_depressed_) Please don't judge my abilities by this feeble attempt at a story. Son of a Miko is much better.**


	3. A New Home

_**Note:**__ The name 'Kerushi', to be found later in this chapter, is the Japanese version of my real name, just so you know!_

**Chapter 3- A New Home **

_(Souta's P.O.V.)_

We, Kags, Inuyasha and I anyway, spent the rest of the day packing some of our stuff for the Feudal Era. You know, photo albums, jewelry, all our money, underwear, that kind of thing. It was one of those lists that have a tendency to end with 'etc.'. Mom was out signing the last of the papers that would turn the house over to Ayumi's parents. Hitomi came by to tell me how much she was going to miss me when I moved to Kyoto. We had all agreed, after the idea had been consented to that night, that this is how we would explain our little 'disappearance'. I was sure that Kagome was listening from the hall closet as Hitomi and I talked. I didn't know where Inuyasha had hidden himself, though. I couldn't help but think about how much I really was going to miss her when we left.

The next morning we took all the stuff we weren't going to take with us either to sis's friends or to the Red Cross and Goodwill. Other than that, we spent the rest of the day cleaning. It wasn't until day three of Kags' transformation that we actually headed out to the well, bags in hand. Buyo had the jewel shard in his collar, just like Kagome said; she had sewn Mom's and mine into straps of dark brown leather that she had turned into chokers, and when I say choker, I _**choke**_r! Them thangs was _way_ to **bloomin' tight**!

(_Other side of the Well, Normal P.O.V._)

Kagome had sent Inuyasha through first to take the family members up as they came one at a time. Buyo had gone through next, then Ms. Higurashi, followed by Souta and then Kagome herself. The transition went relatively smooth save for the fact that Buyo scratched Inuyasha when he jumped out of the well with him.

Souta and Ms. Higurashi stood in wonder for a moment as they looked around their beautiful new surroundings. The air was clean and the grass as green as emeralds. Kagome waited for their wonderment to wear off, and then handed Buyo to Souta. Telling him to cover the feline's ears, she turned towards the village and shouted "Sango-chan! Miroku-sama! Shippou-chan! WE'RE BACK!" and then took off in said direction.

"What the heck was that for, Kagome?!" Inuyasha screeched, uncovering his own ears. She paused and turned to look at the ticked hanyou and gave him a congenial smile.

"I want them to meet us half-way. I call, they come, we don't look so out of place. After all, Souta, Mama, and I are still wearing clothes from the future. After we get some clothes from this era, we're going to have to burn these. We can't mess up the past by mixing in the future, now can we?" she questioned sweetly. Inuyasha let that soak in for a moment before shaking his head and following the futuristic 16-year-old, her mother and younger brother shrugging and following behind.

And Kagome was right. A few minutes later, the rest of the shard-hunting group came running up to them. Shippou, as usual, was on her shoulder in moments, and was the first to notice the newcomers that were following behind their comrades. Sango noticed a moment before Shippou could ask though, and gasped.

"Kagome-chan! Who is he?!" she half shrieked. Obviously, she was referring to Souta, who reminded her of her younger brother, Kohaku. Kagome went to her side to try and calm her down. Sango was distressed, to put it mildly.

"Sango-chan, take it easy! This is my younger brother, Souta. And my mother, Ms. Gin (I borrowed this name from the story 'Birth Marks'. I didn't know if this was universal or just DarkInuFan's name for her, but just in case…) Higurashi. Mom, Souta, these are my friends Sango, Miroku, and Shippou," she said gesturing to each of them. Sango calmed down somewhat after the introduction, but still couldn't help but notice how much the young boy looked like her own brother. Kagome understood, and put a hand on her shoulder. Glancing over to Souta, she noticed that Kirara was staring at Buyo. "And Kirara, this is my cat, Buyo," she added with a short giggle.

Gin walked up to Sango and held out her hand. "I am pleased to meet you, Sango. My daughter has told us a lot about you," she said, smiling at the young Slayer gently. Sango took her hand and nodded shyly. Miroku was about to come forward, for what reasons they all knew, but both Kagome and Inuyasha sent him a look that said 'your wind tunnel won't be what kills you if you even dare go near her'. And the silent threat was quickly obeyed when he backed down and took her introductory words with the social grace that every houshi should possess.

"C'mon, Mama. We need to talk to Kaede-baachan about… that thing," Kagome said vaguely, just now remembering what the first thing on her to-do list had been. She threw her brother a glance to get her point across. Gin looked to where her daughter had thrown her gaze, understood, and complied, telling Kagome to lead the way. "Inuyasha? Why don't you bring Buyo and come with us? Sango-chan, Miroku-kun? Could you entertain Souta for a while? This is kind of something that Mama, Inuyasha and I should talk to Kaede-baachan alone about first," she asked pleadingly. The taijiya and houshi shared a glance before Miroku answered.

"Of course, Kagome-sama. We'll show Souta the river! I think that would keep his interest, don't you, Sango-san?" he said smoothly, his best smile complimenting the tone in his voice. Sango did not get a chance to answer though, as Souta let out a cry of delight and started begging them to show him immediately. Soon, his joyful shouts were heard in the distance along with splashing and a feminine cry of shock, which was probably Sango getting splashed by one of the third-grader's infamous cannonballs. Kagome couldn't help but let out a great laugh as they walked in the opposite direction towards the village. Entering the hut a few minutes later, Kagome called out a cheerful greeting to the old miko of the village where she had first come in her adventures.

"Hey, Kaede-baachan! What 'cha doin'?" she asked cheerfully as she pushed aside the reed curtain that served as the door to the cozy home. Kaede looked up at the smiling ultramodern miko through her good eye as she sat down, followed by Inuyasha and another, unfamiliar, woman.

"Who be that with ye, child?" she queried curiously, glancing over Gin's appearance. She, too, wore a strange kimono from the future, and Kaede was curious as to how the woman had come through the well.

"This is my mom, Ms. Gin Higurashi. Mama, this is my mentor, and Kikyou's younger sister, Kaede," she said. Gin smiled and gave a congenial greeting to the woman before Kagome continued. "Kaede-baachan, the others haven't noticed yet, but have you? I'm a hanyou!" she exclaimed with a giggle. Kaede's eyes went to the top of Kagome's head where she finally noticed the adorable puppy ears now adorning it. "Souta's one, too, Kaede-sama. But I have to break the seal that keeps his youkai blood from surfacing! I don't know how, and I was hoping you would…" The younger girl trailed off shyly, looking to the elderly woman for the answers she needed. Kaede thought about the request for a moment before answering.

"I believe there is one way, Kagome," she said, noting the eager listening look on the girl's features. "It is a ceremony that must be done at midnight, which is when a miko's powers are at their strongest point. Place your hands upon his heart, and put your miko aura into the words 'Kokoro no haninu'. From there, I believe ye are supposed to be able to sense what to do."

Kagome looked thoughtful before a small scream was heard from the village, and a young girl ran trough the door a few moments later yelling about a strangely dressed boy chasing a kitsune who was in turn being chased by Sango-san. Kagome laughed loudly as said trio came running through the doorway after the child. Shippou jumped onto Kagome's shoulder and Souta ducked behind Inuyasha as a soaked and steaming taijiya stomped trough the door seeking revenge.

"All right, kid, stop hiding behind Inuyasha and come take punishment like a man!" she said, Miroku soon following through the doorway at a more normal pace. Souta peeked out from his crouched position behind the haninu teen and chuckled at the ticked young woman. Inuyasha and Gin followed suit in the laughing fits as the houshi tried to restrain the angry Slayer from hurting the mischievous lad. Kagome put a momentary hiatus on her laughing fit, though, and spoke to Sango in hopes of keeping her from hurting the younger boy.

"Sango-chan? Look up," she said sweetly, and pointed to the crown of her head. Sango followed the instructions and blinked when she noticed the doggie-ears perched there. Her jaw dropped in sudden realization when her eyes traveled down to her friend's smile and she noticed the delicate fangs that assured her it was true.

"Kagome-chan! You're a hanyou! But how?!" she asked, stunned by her sister/friend's appearance. Her dark green and moon-gold eyes, lengthened and highlighted hair, and claws were all there, and the humans and kitsune could only wonder at how they had missed the change in appearance before.

Kagome patted the little girl that had come in earlier on the head, told her everything was alright, and sent Souta and her off to tell the other villagers it was so before getting into the story about how their father was a dog demon known as Tetsuya no Inu and so on and so forth. Souta came back just after she had finished the story and told the others not to tell him. Kaede began to prepare dinner, the others jabbering away on various topics, while Souta and Shippou played with some of the fox kit's tops in the corner. Kagome beckoned to Inuyasha to follow her outside a short while later, and, once on the porch, she took off in leaps and bounds for the Goshinboku, her fellow hanyou following swiftly and silently behind.

* * *

"Inuyasha, what are we going to do? It's alright if I wear a miko's clothing, and maybe so for Mama as well, but Souta can't. He'll need clothing, and I don't know what to do for him. It'd be best if he had some armor like you, just in case of a youkai attack, you know? I don't know if he could dress like Miroku-kun or not, but still! Where would we get the garments?" she fretted to her comrade. He looked her over. A miko's outfit would adorn her well, but she would look so much like Kikyou. Her mother had a miko's heritage as well, so it would not hurt for her to wear the same type of kimono as her daughter. But she was right; there was the problem of Souta's clothing. He couldn't just wear what he had on; he needed to fit in to the Sengoku Jidai as much as possible. Surprisingly, he was struck with an idea.

"I think I know where we can get him some clothing. I think I can be back just after mid-night with it if I go now, ok?" he said, looking at the troubled girl. She looked up at him, her hopes clear in her features, and nodded him the go-ahead. Two seconds later, the only one to be seen in the tree was the strange hanyou that seemed out of place among the other peoples of her era.

* * *

Inuyasha leapt through the trees towards the southwest. He knew this area from when he was a child. His first friend lived this way. She was a demoness of great power, and she lived in the far reaches of the cave behind a waterfall not too very far from Kaede's village. After an hour of running full-speed, he was there. But something was different about the youki in her area from before; it seemed to be saying "I'm resting, don't disturb me!" as he approached the magnificent cave entrance covered in crystal with shifting hues of blue and green.

"Kerushi? Kerushi-chan! Are you here?" he called as he walked down the long, moss-covered tunnel. That's when he saw her.

There she was, held to a slightly tilted wooden cross by a cruel thorny vine, a single rose at her throat. The, outwardly human, body was dressed in a short, Greek-style outfit of light violet demon-horse satin, her head tilted to one side. She wore a look of fear-filled dreams as she rested, pinned to the tree by thorns an inch long and longer. Hesitating for only a moment, he went to her side.

"Kerushi! What happened?" he asked, even though he knew she would not answer. Though suddenly, her visage contorted in pain! She lived! How, he wondered, calling her name as he raised a clawed hand to wipe away some of the blood from her throat. But the moment his claw touched her, the cross and thorns dissolved, and the blood-red rose transformed into a beautiful sword, seemingly made of white opal, the hilt a gorgeous silver. She began to fall, but he caught her long before she hit the ground. Calling her name once again, he watched as her eyelids fluttered for a moment, and then opened to reveal her sea-green eyes. Her human appearance melted away into her true form as she murmured his name. Her hair became like a thick smoke or a flame, a beautiful coral color in tone, and a tail of similar looks emerged from her back; and her legs became like those belonging to a cat, the giant paws taking on a brilliant white shade. Her human ears disappeared, and in their place appears horse-like ears of the same brilliant white atop her head. Inuyasha laid her on her mossy nest-like bed and waited for her to regain her senses.

"Inu-chan? You've come? I thought that black-hearted priestess had sealed you to the Goshinboku…?" she queried groggily. Inuyasha smiled at the term of endearment that she had used since they'd met.

"I was unsealed from the Tree a little more than a year ago by Kikyou's reincarnation, a girl named Kagome," he said to her, laughing slightly. "What happened to you, though? Why were you sealed to a cross like that Kerushi-chan?"

"I had come to find you to tell you about a pretty coral bed I'd discovered. I was going to take you to see it, but I only found that you had been sealed to the Goshinboku by that miko you had fallen for. And only she could unseal you. But she had died no more than a few hours after sealing you, and could not even if she wanted to. I felt so hopeless that I sealed myself into a similar sleep, and only your touch could bring me out of it," she said, sitting up and smiling sadly at him. He returned the smile, and finally asked about what he had come for.

"Kerushi-chan? Would you make some clothes for some friends of mine?" he queried respectfully (AN: I know what you're thinking: Inuyasha?! Respectful?! Never!). Kerushi gave him her best did-you-even-have-to-ask look before leaning in and pressing her temple next to his and telling him to send her a mental picture. Inuyasha hesitated for only a moment before throwing out a couple of mental images of Gin, Souta, and Kagome. When Kerushi saw the picture of Kagome, though, she gasped in surprise. She looked so much like Kikyou it was unreal! But Inuyasha caught her in time and assured her it was not Kikyou, but Kagome.

"Well, alright. I still say she looks like Kikyou, though," she muttered, picking up her sword and replacing it in its scabbard. Drawing the image of Souta to her mind, she thought of what the boy needed in armor before she began. She worked quickly, and soon a fire-rat kimono like Inuyasha's, of ice blue and white was finished, and lay on the ground before her. The next person she focused on was Gin. Her kimono looked like a miko's, only the pants were a dark purple and the top was tinted violet. And last, but not least, Kagome.

Her aura fluctuated as she worked quickly and efficiently. Inuyasha had been catnapping while she worked, awaiting the time when the kimono would be complete. He heard her whisper for him to look, and before his eyes she held a gorgeous kimono of viper-demon silk, the cloth of a very dark and shiny green, and a metallic purple four-pointed star pattern embroidered about the neck and sleeves. Inuyasha's jaw dropped at the beautiful dress. Not only was it practically indestructible armor, it was a kimono that could be worn to the most stiff of parties! He eyes went wide she gently laid the garments in his lap.

"Kerushi-chan, you're the best!"

* * *

Kagome led a very sleepy Souta to the Goshinboku. She was followed by no one, and Souta was questioning her sleepily as to where they were going. She shushed him and kept moving, making sure to keep a hold on his hand so he wouldn't get left behind. Once they were there, she had him stand with his back to the Sacred Tree. Placing her hands over his heart, she told him to just follow with whatever happened.

"Kokoro no haninu," she murmured, concentrating all her miko energy into the words. From beneath her hands, a warmth began to grow. As Kaede had said, she sensed what she had to do next. Removing her hands, she drew a single claw over his chest in the shape of a heart, and then cut through the skin, right in the center. The blood dripped a bit, and then when flying in six metallic ribbons about the boy's body, and soon became a cocoon about him. A few moments later, the boy emerged from the bloody cosset, his hair a metallic black, and his eyes the same color as the most beautiful light jade stones, silver flecks shining in the sea of green. His dog-ears were like Inuyasha's, only a bit smaller, and his claws and fangs were as sharp as any human dagger. He looked up at his oneisan, fear showing in his handsome new eyes.

"Neechan? What just happened?" he questioned his elder sibling. She smiled at him, picked him up, and ran down to the river. Setting him next to the bank, she instructed him to look into the water. Timidly, he followed her command. Boy, was he ever glad she was there, too! The moment Souta saw his reflection he fainted!

* * *

**AN: Whee! Next chapter! Hope you like. I'm still nitpicking on how badly I used to do. (_frowns_) But I'm happy now! One of my Naruto stories, called "Soul-Mirror", has (had) only five chapters up, and 104 reviews! WOOT! XDD**

**REVIEW, KUDASAI!**


	4. Beginning Training

**Chapter 4- Beginning Training**

(_Normal P.O.V._)

_(Slap)_

"Keep…"

_(Slap)_

"… your hands…"

_(Slap)_

"… to yourself…"

_(Slap)_

"… You _**hentai**_…!"

This was the wonderful wake-up call that greeted the villagers that morning. By now, though, all of them were used to it. Only one was awake that wasn't, and that was Gin Higurashi. And the only comment she gave towards the two was a 'would you like an ice-pack' for Miroku. Kagome was still dead asleep against the wall of Kaede's hut; a resting form in her lap was covered by a light cotton blanket she had brought from her time. Inuyasha lazed on in a corner, a strange crystallite rose in one hand, and with stuffed leather bag being used as a pillow. Slowly, the red-clad haninu opened his eyes drowsily and glanced over to Kagome. Sensing she was still asleep, he got up, gently laid the strange flower in his hand to rest on the bag, and walked over to shake the younger half-dog awake.

"Kagome, c'mon, the sun's already up," he said through a half-yawn. His clawed hand was slapped away by her own in response to the, for once gentle, wake-up call.

"Go 'way, Inu… I'm tired," she groaned. "You wouldn't believe what a dead weight Souta can be… had to carry yawn 'im all the way back from the riv'r las nigh…"

At this revelation, Inuyasha became wide-awake. "Why'd ya' have to carry Souta back from the river?" he asked the still-groggy teen as he shook her further awake.

She finally gave in to him, sat up, stretched and yawned as she replied, "Cause he fainted dead away when he saw his reflection." And with that, she pulled the blanket off to reveal the still conked-out Souta, his hair now grown down to his rear like Inuyasha's and it's shining metallic black color seeming to glow in the sunlight, the puppy ears firmly pinned to his head as he clutched his neechan's shirt. "I think it shocked him a bit much," she giggled through her still-sleepy state, looking down at him. "He would've been in for a rude awakening, too, if I hadn't been there. He almost fell in!"

The other occupants of the hut all had a good laugh at this. A moment later, the object of their amusement awoke, stretched, and looked around. Gin asked him if he slept well, and Shippou, Sango and Miroku greeted him with a friendly 'Good Morning' as Kaede passed out the bowls of porridge she had fixed for breakfast. Souta looked to Kagome about halfway through breakfast and asked her something that had been bugging him.

"Hey, Sis, was I dreaming or did I really turn into a hanyou last night?" he asked her quietly. The rest of the group was deeply involved in a conversation and only the Inu-Miko heard him. She smiled, letting him glimpse one of her shining fangs as she answered.

"You did! You and I have the same father, an inu youkai named Tetsuya no Inu. It didn't hurt you in your transformation because Mama didn't cast the spell as early on you as she did on me, and you developed correctly as so," she said, as her brother's eyes went wide at the revelation.

"Higurashi-san, don't you think that Souta should learn how to fight since he's a hanyou as well?" asked Miroku as he finished his breakfast a moment later. Gin looked up at him, surprised, thought about it for a moment, and then voiced her approval of the idea with the addition of the thought that she should probably learn to shoot longbow like Kagome and Kaede. Kagome thought that would be neat. Saying that she still needed practice though, she suggested that Kaede teach. The old woman smiled as the younger miko complimented her skills.

"Well, since you're going to begin your training today, you're going to need these," Inuyasha said, laughing slightly as he handed the ice-blue kimono to the young boy, and watched as his eyes went wide with delight. "It's a fire-rat kimono, just like mine. Even made by the same person. And here's one for you, Higurashi-san! I hope you like it," he said, pulling out the purple and light violet version of a miko's clothing and handing it to her gently. Gin gasped in astonished pleasure as she felt the soft material of the shirt and pant set drape across her knees. Kagome's eyes sparkled with joy over the clothing that the boy had been able to procure for her family. Inuyasha glanced over at her and ginned impishly before dropping the leather sack in her lap, and placing the rose on top as he took his seat once again. "Open it, Kagome."

She looked at him curiously before putting her hand in and feeling the silk of her top. She gasped as she drew it out, the green of the top and skirt shimmering darkly, the metallic purple embroidery glinting playfully in the light.

"Viper-demon silk. Perfect for any circumstances. The finest material there is for armor," he said proudly as she held it up for the others to see. "It's practically indestructible." Sango stood up, taking Kagome, Gin and Kaede with her.

"We'll go outside. Why don't the rest of you help Souta get into his new armor?" she suggested, heading for the door. The boys voiced a unanimous "OK!" before starting. The women waited on the porch, admiring the new armor that Gin and Kagome had been given. Sango even went as far as to say that Inuyasha had good taste!

(_With the Boys_)

"Hey, Inuyasha?" questioned Souta, watching as the elder half-dog's ears swiveled toward his voice, indicating that he was listening. "Since we're going to live in the Sengoku Jidai, can I learn how to use a sword like you?" Inuyasha looked up from inspecting Kerushi's handiwork and into the child's innocent (AN: Souta?! Innocent?! Never!) gaze. Teach him to fight with a sword? He hadn't thought of it before, but it would be a good idea if both he and Kagome learned to fight in close-range weaponry battles just in case the need ever arose. Thinking on that for a moment, he struck a deal with the boy.

"Have Miroku teach you his defense tactics. When you can defend yourself well enough with a staff, than I'll teach you haw to fight with a sword, alright?" he said, grinning at the jade-eyed youngster. He received an enthusiastic "Yeah!" before the boy ran through the door to show the women his new armor and tell his mom about the promise. Inuyasha chuckled lightly at the boy's antics as he, Miroku, and Shippou followed him out to find that the girls, too, were laughing at Souta's enthusiasm. Standing, Kagome took her mother's hand and drew her into the hut once again followed by Sango and Kaede to change into their own armor. Inuyasha turned away, and watched in amusement as Miroku showed Souta some basic tactics with his staff. He couldn't help but think that Souta was going to need strength and endurance training first; Miroku's staff was almost too heavy for him!

"What the…!" he heard Kagome screech from the inside of the hut a few minutes later. _Uh oh, looks like Kerushi finally decided to reveal herself_, he thought as he knocked lightly on the threshold, making sure he didn't walk in on them in case they were… ahem… not quite ready. The response was a slightly unnerved-sounding "Come in!" from Sango. Entering, he found that Kerushi, in white cotton version of her other dress, was sitting on the floor next to Kirara and Buyo, stroking the neko-demon and grinning at the other occupants of the hut at their reaction to her true form.

"Kerushi-chan, did you have to scare them like that? C'mon, it would've been better if you had made a quiet entrance as a **human**," he reprimanded. She grinned, making her fangs grow to about three inches in length, successfully helping Gin gain a pallor to her skin that was made even worse by the pale purple material of her haori.

"Come now, Inu-chan, that wouldn't have been any fun! Surely you understand that, don't you?" she said sweetly, smiling at him as she rose from her sitting position to stand a head taller than any of the other women in the hut. Kagome looked to Inuyasha, her face indicating that she was barely holding in a fit of laughter over the strange creature calling him 'puppy'. He rolled his eyes and went into the introductions necessary to keep Kagome's mom from having a heart attack.

"Kerushi, this is Ms. Gin Higurashi, Sango, Kaede-baba, Kirara, Buyo and Kagome," he said, indicating each of them respectively. She looked at them, giggled, and then surrounded herself in a bright light. Moments later a normal human child, adorned in a simple yukata, appeared in her place. Inuyasha smiled at the amazement on their faces, and explained, "Kerushi is a demon by our standards but in reality she's a half-demon like me. Her father was a shape-shifter demon and mother was a miko. Her kind can take on any form, though, so there really is no such thing as a half-demon to them. She was my first true friend, and we've known each other since we were kids."

She grinned, her smile now very human, and bowed to them respectfully. Lifting her head, she asked them, "Would you like it if I helped you train? I'm a fairly good fighter, myself."

Kagome and the others voiced their consent, and the, now petite, teen led them to the river. Inuyasha perched himself in a nearby tree to watch as they began.

(_Kerushi's P.O.V._)

I knew that Inu-chan would watch from a tree as I trained them with the help of the taijiya and elderly miko. He cared too much about this strange girl and her family; he wouldn't just leave them to fend for themselves. Let's see… I believe he called her 'Kagome'. She is very different from Kikyou, though. I can sense it in everything she does. She cares deeply for everyone around her, and has a warm, open demeanor that that black-hearted miko could only ever dream of.

I started them off with some basic blocking and evasion techniques, and then we split our group into two parts, one was Kaede-baba and Gin, the other was Sango, Kirara and Kagome. I was working with both groups. Gin said she feared that she no longer held her miko powers and told me of the spells she had put over Kagome and Souta. I reassured her that she still held plenty of power; it was just the fact that she had used so much of it in such a short amount of time that her powers needed time to rebuild themselves. Showing her some basics while Kagome practiced the evasion tactics I had instructed her in, we were amazed when Gin took her first shot at a target Kaede-baba had hung on a tree nearby.

"Mom?! I didn't know you could use the sacred arrows!" Kagome screeched as she leapt over to her mother's side, who was now standing in bewilderment over the half-disintegrated tree before her. Kaede was speechless, and I smiled.

"Well done!" I told her, grinning from ear to ear. "You didn't hit the exact bull's-eye, but at least we figured how much power we're talking about. Now you just have to learn to control and aim it like Kagome did, and everything will be perfect!"

We practiced for the rest of the day; Gin-san on her archery, and Kagome-chan on her defensive maneuvers. I taught her a few ways to confuse the enemy, like how to use her miko powers to make illusions of herself, and how to move quickly enough to throw an opponent off-balance for an easy attack. We stopped not too long after sunset, and I suddenly sensed something amiss. Inuyasha wasn't in the tree he had occupied a few hours before. I had been so busy with the training that I hadn't noticed him leave. I shrugged it off. Probably just prowling around for something to do. Or maybe he's back at Kaede-baba's again, waiting for us so that he can eat. Who knows? But he's probably just taking a nap somewhere. I didn't know how wrong I was. Inu-chan was far from any such relaxing thing, and we went back to the village by way of the woods, and Kagome was paying no attention whatsoever to the things around her. I maintained my human appearance so as not to frighten the villagers, but still worried over my silver-haired companion.

* * *

**AN: There you have it. Whee! Okay, moving on. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	5. Continued Legacy beneath the Goshinboku

**Chapter 5- A Legacy Continues beneath the Goshinboku**

"Kikyou?" he queried, standing beneath the Sacred Tree. He looked up and, balanced on a favorite branch, was his undead love. She looked down at him, and smiled a bittersweet smile as she slid off her perch into his arms. The scent of the herbs that had brought her life in the body of clay and ash washed over him as he helped her gain her footing from the drop. One of her soul-collectors dropped a single glowing sphere into her body as she straightened herself.

"I knew you would come, Inuyasha. It is time to go. I have walked this earth long enough, so come with me into the abyss," she said, suddenly taking the opportunity to kiss him. Her lips caressed his gently. They felt like snow against his own, soft and cold. Suddenly his eyes shot open, and he ripped himself away from the woman's arms. He felt a sticky wet run down the back of his neck, and, reaching to feel, realized that she had tried to kill him. He now noticed the dagger in her hand that had some of his blood on it, and watched as a single drop fell from its tip. Looking up at her, his mind ran ninety miles an hour trying to make some sense of the woman's actions.

"You didn't have to stab me to take me with you, so why did you do that?" he questioned her confusedly as the woman's expression contorted in rage.

"You belong to me, Inuyasha! Your life belongs to me!" she shouted. His eyes widened in realization; for Kikyou, it wasn't enough to just take him to hell with her, she had to have him suffer the way she had suffered when she died. At her hands, the way she had suffered, supposedly, at his.

_Is this how it is? But… I thought love wouldn't be this way, I thought it was… wait a minute; it __**is**__ supposed to be unconditional! Kikyou and I, our love was never unconditional, she said that __**if **__I loved her, I would become human for her. She didn't love me as a hanyou; she __wanted__ to love me as a human! She said __**if**__ I loved her, I would come with her to hell, but she was trying to kill me…!_ Inuyasha's suddenly comprehending thoughts brought him to a conclusion.

"Kikyou, I don't belong to you, and I only owe you one thing. And that is to avenge your death by completely destroying Naraku."

* * *

Kagome glanced out the window once again for about the fifth time in less than so many minutes. She was worrying over the fact that it was quite late and Inuyasha still had yet to return. Her friends continued to tell her not to worry, and that Inuyasha could take care of himself, but she couldn't help herself. They had already eaten dinner, and Souta, Shippou, and Kaede had already fallen asleep. Kerushi had returned to her true form, and Kirara and Buyo, which by now had become good companions, had also retired to a corner of the hut. Gin arose at that moment, and bid everyone a good night. At this, Kagome could no longer stand it.

"I'm going to look for him. I feel like I need to, like he's calling to me or something," she said, standing and running out the door and towards where the signal of need appeared to be coming from. Halfway there, she realized she was being called towards the Goshinboku. Her footsteps quieted as she neared her destination, her keen ears picking up a voice, and her nose picking up a combination of foul-smelling herbs and a strange, metallic smell she had only noticed once before. In Souta's transformation, when the ribbons of blood had surrounded him in his ruby-colored cocoon. She positioned herself behind a tree and looked from her hiding place to the Sacred Tree, recognizing Inuyasha and Kikyou as the forms beneath it, blood falling from his neck.

"Kikyou, I don't belong to you, and I only owe you one thing. And that is to avenge your death by completely destroying Naraku!" she heard the dog-eared boy say to his undead love. At this, her heart seemed to stop. _He's not going with her? But… I thought he said that he was!_ A moment later, she barely restrained a shocked cry as Inuyasha said "Good-bye, Kikyou!" and slashed her throat with a single claw, saying, "I thank you for one thing, though, and that is for bringing Kagome to me." She barely caught his words as the clay body disintegrated and the half of her soul that had been missing for so long returned to her body. _He's thankful for me…?_

Inuyasha noticed Kagome's light ginger and cherry-blossom scent nearby, and turned to discover her standing just inside the clearing that was beneath the place where they first met. Distress and confusion covered her visage, and her green and white gold eyes searched his golden ones. He smiled at her in gentle sadness as she came towards him timidly.

"You're… thankful… for me?" she questioned him dazedly. Inuyasha let out a breathy chuckle, and nodded to the young priestess from the other dimension.

"You, Kagome, are who I love, and who loves me. It took me so long to realize that Kikyou didn't really love me, and I've messed up so many times that I know how badly I don't deserve you. But you always came back, you always endured, you never left, hated, or mistrusted me. I could always count on you to love and care for me, even when I was at my worst," he murmured to her, the truth and sincerity in his voice and eyes making her want to just melt into him.

"Inu…" His lips were upon hers before she could even finish, and she was in such shock that she could barely register his movements that asked her pleadingly for entrance as his strong arms wrapped around her. She made a concession to his request, and he began exploring every crevice of her mouth. He realized that she was inexperienced, maybe even her first time. His instincts told him that he would just _teach_ her, and that _that_ would be a wonderful process. His fangs lightly scraped her lip as he drew away, brushing his nose against hers. He could smell the arousal on her, and at this he smirked. He liked having this effect on her; she was breathing hard, a slightly bewildered expression on her face.

"Kagome?" he asked, his serious expression once again in place. He received a flick forward of her ear, but she was still too breathless from the kiss to answer. "Would you… be my life's mate?" She glanced up at him, surprised. A small smile lighted her features and she nodded, murmuring a still-breathless yes. "I have to mark you, to show the other youkai that you're mine, and that you're not just up for grabs," he said, smiling at her tenderly. She nodded, and he kissed her again, this time, taking her bottom lip between his teeth. Moving his fangs to the back, he sank them into the warm, sweet flesh and ripped her lip open in two fang-tracks. She gasped slightly as he licked the blood away lovingly and pressed his lips to hers once again. The gentle passion he was showing her was so new, so unexpected, that she didn't quite know what to do about this more open Inuyasha that now held her close. Suddenly, a great wind came up, and Inuyasha pulled away quickly at the scent that came from the small tornado's vortex.

"Kagura!" he exclaimed as the woman was revealed from within the center. She made no moves to attack the two hanyou, though, only stepped forward to address them both.

"I come on my own! I'm tired of being controlled by Naraku; the wind was meant to be free! I come to tell you that you'll find Naraku's castle in the high mountains beyond… aaah!" she screamed, grabbing the place where her heart was supposed to be before quickly going on. "Beyond the training grounds of the wolves and further up at the very top…!" She died before their eyes, her fan and feather disintegrating as she collapsed to the dirt.

* * *

**AN: TADA! There's where Inu-kun was, darlings! XDD Please show some love for the story and leave a review!**


	6. The Final Showdown

**Chapter 6- The Final Showdown **

Inuyasha and Kagome had immediately returned to the hut to retrieve Sango, Miroku and Kirara before heading out on their journey. Souta and Shippou had begged to come along and help out, but Kagome wouldn't hear of it. She insisted it was too dangerous, and told them that they needed to be at the village in case of a youkai attack to protect the others. They finally just ran out, leaving them behind.

It took them two days at full speed with cosmically small breaks to reach the mountains, and when they did, they were exhausted. Miroku and Sango insisted that they stay at the training grounds of the wolves for a couple of days so that they wouldn't be too tired to battle. It took only a little convincing for Kagome, but…

"Osuwari!"

(_Crash_)

"What was that for?!"

"WE NEED A BREAK, INUYASHA!"

They argued and fussed for about fifteen minutes, and in the end Inuyasha, of course, was the one to give in. Ayame was standing to one side, witnessing the small spat between the two, an eyebrow twitching at the rough treatment that the elder hanyou was receiving. All of them looked absolutely exhausted, and she had invited them to stay with her. One thought was running through her head as she observed Inuyasha admiring nature face-first: I hope Kagome doesn't decide to do that to me.

"Hey, are you hungry by any chance?" she asked, watching as the silver-haired boy sulked on the ground and Kagome collapsed next to Sango. All of them looked up and nodded at her, most of them still too tired to even speak. As for the boys, their stomachs spoke for them with an infinitely loud grumble, indicating that the wolf demoness had hit it. She smiled at them, a single fang glinting in the late-afternoon sun as she turned to go and hunt something for them. She was actually being friendly towards Kagome, why the others didn't know. She had been super jealous when Kouga had told her that he was in love with the strange girl. They didn't understand that she'd noticed the Mark on Kagome's lip. The humans may have noticed, but they didn't understand. Only Kirara of their normal group was aware and knowing.

_Now that Inuyasha has claimed her, Kouga will come through on his promise for sure!_ she thought blushing at the thought of her cerulean-eyed suitor. She'd been in love with him since she was a child when he'd saved her from a Bird of Paradise. She'd been out seeking the iris flower that she was going to use to help with her training. The pretty blossom had fair spiritual powers, and she had once used it to save his life when fighting a hair-demon as he had saved hers that once. Well, correction, he saved her life in that battle, too.

* * *

Souta perched himself in the Goshinboku on the same branch on which he could smell a scent of herbs and clay. The scent seemed, strangely enough, to be familiar. Only to the point where it had a connection with another scent he couldn't quite place, but familiar nonetheless. His thoughts wandered about, mostly to his hero and sister.

_They said it was dangerous, but still, I trained with Miroku! I should have been able to travel with them. I know we didn't train much, but this Naraku guy wouldn't be anything that we all couldn't handle together!_ he thought, frowning as the foul-smelling herbs became a slight bit stronger. He glanced down, and did a double take when he saw a woman who was dressed like Kaede, but looked like Kagome!

"Hey, who are you?" he questioned the strange woman, dropping down from his perch. She looked up at him, and a tiny smile lighted on her death-white features. Her body was becoming transparent, and in the last few moments, words seemed to echo through the trees, and somehow, he knew it was her.

_**Good-bye, Inuyasha. Live, Love, Prosper. We will meet again, not in this world, but the next.**_ And with that, the image was gone.

* * *

Inuyasha stared up at the night sky. He could sense Naraku's aura all the way here, and that treacherous half-demon was at the top of the mountain. Kagura had died telling them where to find the powerful hanyou. He understood, and remembered what she'd said. _The wind was meant to be free!_

"Inuyasha? Are you ok?" he heard Kagome whisper beneath him. She looked up at him through the leaves to the branch he'd alighted on. He nodded, and she jumped up and alighted next to him. He noticed a knot in her hair, and ran his clawed hands through to untangle it. She blushed lightly at the sweet caress. _Even though we're mates, it's still unusual for him to be so gentle,_ she thought to herself, a sweet smile adorning her features as she scooted towards him. She leaned against his strong body and heaved a sigh of contentment.

"His aura… it's so strong here…" he murmured, perching his chin between her ears as he continued to run his hand through her mane. She tilted her head slightly to where she could see his face. He was beginning to worry, she could see it all over his face.

"Inuyasha, we're all here, together, and nothing will stop us," she said, placing one of her hands over his. She intertwined their fingers, and let the appendages continue to rest on her hip as she nuzzled his throat, trying to get him to calm down. He sighed.

"I'm worried that one, or even more than one, of us may not come out alive. I'm afraid of how strong his aura is this far away," he told her, pulling back to look her in the eye. She could see that he was troubled about the well being of she and their friends. His eyes were full of golden distress, and his scent was spiked with it, as well.

"No matter what happens, Inuyasha, I will never be away from you for long," she said, gracing his lips with a tender kiss before settling down to sleep and gain strength for the coming morn.

* * *

Sunrise.

Kagome's eyes shot open as the bright light of the first rays of the morning danced playfully over her features. She glanced up into Inuyasha's face and, noting that his breathing pattern indicated he was in a light sleep, gently ran a claw from her free hand over one of his high cheekbones. He leaned into the gentle caress for a moment before opening his eyes to the barely-risen sun. The golden orbs were clouded with sleep for only a moment longer, and then he was wide-awake. He untangled his hands from hers and stretched, and Kagome followed suit; that was the best night's sleep either of them had had in five days!

"Good morning, Inuyasha," she whispered as she worked a small knot out of his hair, returning his sweet gesture from the previous night. He grasped her hand in his own and drew it further behind himself, causing her to lean into a gentle embrace.

"A dangerous morning," he murmured to her before pulling away and caressing her lips lightly with his thumb. Her eyes softened, and she kissed the clawed appendage before turning and dropping from their perch.

"I'll go wake Sango-chan and the others. Why don't you see what you can dig up for us to eat?" she suggested, taking the five hundred or so yards in a single leap. He nodded and bounded to the spot where he had seen Ayame place the leftovers from the night before in the mountain stream that ran through the plateau and off into the abyss over the left of the mountain. Reaching into the water, he began to draw out a single package of meat that lay in a small enclosure of rock to keep it from flowing away. Halfway back to the surface, though, a familiar scent caught his attention. A scent that was a little too close at hand for his taste. Naraku's poison insects.

Two of them swooped in on him as he wheeled around and sliced them with his claws. One was completely disintegrated, and the other only lost a wing. It dropped to the ground, and Inuyasha finished off the job. Something was wrong. These bugs usually traveled in swarms, not ones and twos. That's when it came. A scream from Kagome and her scent filled with fear.

"Inuyasha!" she cried, her voice terrified, but jolting, as though she were fighting them and calling for his aid. He quickly dropped the meat back into the stream and took off towards his mate's fearful cry. At the cave entrance, she, Sango, Miroku and Ayame were all fighting the enormous swarm. Thousands of them were coming in from all directions to try and destroy them. The two that had found him were only the appetizer. He quickly sliced through several dozen to fight at Kagome's side.

"Are you ok, Kagome?" he asked as he destroyed another two-dozen, the sticky blood covering his claws and clothing. "Sankon Tessou!"

"I'm… fine! All I'm worried about is Sango and the others!" she shouted, slicing through a dozen or so more. A fearful cry was heard from the Slayer's direction and Kagome tried to make her way to the girl, slicing through the few hundred poison insects between them.

"Miroku, no!" Sango screamed as Kagome came beside her.

"Inuyasha! Get out of the way!" he shouted. Inuyasha moved, and told Miroku in vain to not use his kazaana as he did so, but the monk flipped the prayer beads from his wrist. "Kazaana!"

The bugs tried to escape as Miroku held his ground, the wind tunnel of his right hand absorbing the thousands upon thousands of the dangerous winged things, but it was to no avail. He was weakening, but he refused to give up. This was for his friends, his love; he was now sacrificing himself for all Japan. He wasn't going to stop. If he died of the poison, at least they would have a body to bury. _Sango, please forgive me…!_ he thought silently as his world became fuzzy. There… only one… more…! Got him!

Miroku pulled the prayer beads back onto his hand and fell to the ground, exhausted and dying. The poison… he had absorbed so much… it would only be a matter of minutes before he perished.

"Miroku! Damn it, Miroku, answer me!" Sango cried, the tears spilling over her face as she held the almost-unconscious man in her lap. He groaned lightly, and opened his now un-seeing eyes to look into her features.

"I'm… so sorry, Sango…" he murmured, her human ears barely catching the words as his eyes fell closed once again, never to reopen and reveal the violet depths. The tears came, spilling, falling, feeling like they would never stop. A deeper sorrow than she had ever felt before.

"No…" she whispered, a hoarse sound full of anguish and sorrow. The taijiya bowed her head and sobbed over the man. His dying words had been an apology, specifically to her! How was she going to live with that? The only man she had ever truly cared about was now dead. Her brother would die, for Kagome had to remove the jewel shard. Her family was already dead because Naraku had slain them. Memories of all the deaths in her life began to fill her mind, and she wept bitterly over the monk's body.

It came. There it was, descending from the mountain. Naraku's demonic aura was coming down the mountain for them. The insects were nothing; now they had to beat their maker. The sacrifice of their friend could not be forgotten so quickly. They now had one more reason to beat Naraku. They already had countless ones. For Kikyou, for the Slayers, for Kohaku, for the Shikon, and so many others. This would make his death that much sweeter.

Sango lifted her head as the evil that wore a baboon pelt alighted on the ground a few hundred yards before them, Kanna and Kohaku at his side, a barrier surrounding them. He laughed at their expressions of hate.

"Well, well, well. Inuyasha. I'm surprised you made it past my poison insects," he said, smirking, his tone venomous. "But I see it was not without sacrifice, was it? Lady Kagome, you ears are absolutely adorable! I hope that you don't lose them before I send you into the abyss!"

"Naraku, you're going down!" Inuyasha shouted, racing forward and ripping the Tetsusaiga out of its sheath. "Wind Scar!"

The color changed, and became the red from the blood-crystal of the Demon Bat Tribe before the strong wind force destroyed the barrier around the evil hanyou once again. Naraku tossed his baboon pelt aside as he let various parts of other youkai manifest themselves in his body, showing him for the conglomerate that he was. A single appendage that much resembled a tentacle, shot out from him with a cry of "Die, Half-Breed!", and speared through Inuyasha's gut. Blood spattered, and Kagome let out a scream. Not of fear, but of rage. She leaped, and dodged as he tried to spear her the same way. Slicing through the tentacle that held her love, she dropped to the ground beside him. "Good! Now you'll die with your bitch!" (A/N: Please note that was in reference to a female dog. I don't really even feel comfortable with cuss words coming out of the bad-guy's mouth, which is pathetic. He meant it as cussing, but take it with said prescription.)

Shooting out a dragon's claw-like appendage, Kagome screamed and pushed her mate out of the way. Sango stood, but her Hiraikotsu wouldn't reach Kagome in time! The claw was almost upon her…!

"Aaah!"

(_Crash_)

"Kagome!"

There was a pea-soup fog of dirt in the air, and as it cleared, they looked up to see Sesshoumaru leaping to Inuyasha's side, Kagome under his arm! The inu youkai set her next to his younger brother as he stood up from the crouched position in which he had landed. Inuyasha embraced his mate gratefully. A picture is worth a thousand words, and despite the brothers' rivalry, the look of gratefulness on the silver-haired haninu's face when he looked up at his brother was worth ten thousand.

"Foolish Sesshoumaru. Why did you interfere? You care less about your brother than I do, except to see him dead!" said Naraku, scowling at the dog-lord. The man's eyes narrowed as he glanced in the direction of the possessed human, the sun staining the sky blood red as it rose higher behind him, matching the very hue of his eyes.

"I will deal with Inuyasha, but I have business with you as well," the cold lord told him, drawing the Tokijin. The sword's light blue aura fluctuated in his grasp as he brought it up to point to the half-demon that stood before him in an unspoken challenge. The scowl on Naraku's face turned into a smirk, and a single tentacle shot forward. It met the aura as Inuyasha and Kagome dodged to one side. There was a dangerous electric crackle for a few minutes, and then Sesshoumaru was thrown back, the Tokijin disintegrating before their very eyes!

"Baka. The Tokijin would not work on me; it was made from one of my incarnations! You were a fool to believe that you could beat me anyway…!" he said launching a powerful attack at the youkai lord. He wouldn't be able to dodge; the wind was knocked out of him when he was hurdled into the wall by the sword's aura being sent back at him. But… wait! Someone pushed him out of the way!

"NO!" Sesshoumaru opened his eyes to see who had sacrificed their person for him. His golden orbs widened in shock and realization.

Inuyasha. His younger, half-breed brother and rival had pushed him out of the way and taken the deathblow that was supposed to be his own. His mouth worked silently.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha, no!" Kagome sobbed, pulling him into her arms. The tentacle had already withdrawn from the speedy attack which had gone almost directly through his heart. He was so close to death, but he would not give up his grip on the sword; he would not let his demon side surface, even if it was to save his life. He looked hazily up into her features and gave a weak smile.

"Kagome…" he whispered. Her ears perked forward instantly. "Take… the sword. Use it with…"

He died before he could finish.

A feral cry of sorrow ripped from Kagome's throat and echoed through the mountains as she gripped the body of her mate to her chest. Naraku laughed at the fortuitous turn of events. That's when things heated up.

Kagome's aura fluctuated from the night-sky blue of her hanyou aura to the one that was the bright pink of her miko's heart. Her bangs shadowed her eyes darkly. The tears continued to run down her face and drip onto the dangerously shimmering fabric of her kimono. Gently removing the Tetsusaiga from Inuyasha's hand, she stood and slowly walked toward Naraku, never lifting her head. He laughed again slightly at the girl's strange willingness to die. But he stopped laughing when he saw her face.

"That was it. You could do no more harm than what you just did," she whispered hoarsely, knowing that he would still hear. "You have done the unforgivable. You have gone beyond your other crimes. You have slaughtered many, and those who did not deserve it. But this time," she said, her eyes glowing pink with rage, "you messed with someone stronger than yourself."

The fear on Naraku's face and in his scent was unmistakable. You couldn't miss it for anything. Kagome lifted the Tetsusaiga, and called upon the Wind Scar, putting her entire miko aura into it, and destroyed the destroyer in one blow. With this, all her world went black.

* * *

**AN: Bleh, this chapter seems terribly cliche now that I (at least partially) re-read it. Horrible. (_makes face_) So please forgive my former lack of experience. This is a VERY old chapter; I wrote it at least two years ago. Like... Not too long after my 14th birthday, and I'm 16 now. Anywho, please enjoy and review, and forgive any errors/ inconsistancies/ general atrocities. Ja!**


	7. Sesshoumaru's Reason and Rin's Favor

**Chapter 7- Sesshoumaru's Reason and Rin's Favor**

Sesshoumaru watched as the woman fainted to the ground. The sky's hue was returning to normal, and he glanced around himself. The taijiya still stood in shocked horror over her comrade and leader, and the female wolf youkai was leaning over another of the wolves that had not survived from the first attack. Kanna and Kohaku both had been killed in the Wind Scar the same as Naraku, and now the question was… should he do anything about it?

A small noise caught his ear, and he looked up into the sky to see Rin and Jaken coming towards him on Ah-Un's back. Even the ningen child's cute call of "Moshi moshi, Sesshoumaru-sama!" wasn't enough to help him forget the blood that now tainted the ground on which he stood. As the double-headed dragon alighted on the ground, he noticed that the small child's eye was caught by something that lay near the various parts of the diminishing half-demon. Jaken immediately ran over to him, but Rin's reaction to whatever was disguised from his vision among the body parts was piquing his interest.

"Rin, what is it you see?" he asked emotionlessly, by-passing his faithful, but annoying, toad-servant. She looked up at him from standing over and picking through what looked to be the wretch's heart.

"There's something pretty over here, Sesshoumaru-sama! It's pink!" she said, leaning over to pick whatever the thing was up, but her fingers were burned the moment they touched Naraku's dead flesh. She let out a small gasp of pain. He was by her side not even a second later to see what had hurt her. The heart was weakly pulsating with a pink light. He sliced the gruesome thing open with a single swift claw to reveal the tarnished Shikon Jewel. The little girl's attention was drawn by the shiny thing, and she reached her burned hand out again. The thing did not burn her this time, but merely gave her an electrical tap of correction. Sesshoumaru had been watching Kagome when Rin had touched the object a second time.

_Even though she is exhausted from fighting both Naraku's poison insects and Naraku himself, she is protecting the Jewel. When Rin touched it, her aura fluctuated from the dark blue youki to the light pink of her miko side_, he thought, observing her. She would protect the Jewel even as she slept until she felt safe. Rin looked up, and followed her protector's line of vision. The moment her eyes landed on Kagome, her scent spiked with fear. She stood up and ran over to the injured girl. She looked her over for a moment before calling to him.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! She's still alive! Can you help her?" she called hopefully. Her complete trust was in the youkai that had raised her from the dead and caught her when she was falling (Quite literally in episode 96). Her bright eyes gazed into his slightly unnerved golden ones. It took only one glance towards his brother's body to move him to the girl. He, too, examined her for a moment before giving his commands.

"Rin, take Jaken and Ah-Un into the forest below and gather some firewood," he told her firmly, gathering up the exhausted miko and walking over to the taijiya. Motioning with his head, Sango understood that she was to follow the cold young lord into the wolf-demon's cave. He laid his brother's mate down next to the pitiful fire that was left over from the previous night and left the huntress to tend her fallen sister/friend. His steps took him back outside where he further made three more trips. The first being for his younger brother and savior, the second, for the young monk, and third, for the young boy Kohaku. When Sango saw him retrieve the bodies of her love and brother as well, her eyes softened towards the man in tender thanks. The two wood-hunters came in later, as did Ayame, and the small girl built up the fire to a hearty blaze. She ran a single finger over one of Kohaku's eyelids, an expression of sorrow over her face. He had been told to protect her by that evil man that had stolen her away, and he had been kind to her, talked to her. Her protector noticed the look on her face as she traced the boy's features that were lax with death. His heart seemed to leap at a sudden thought…

(_Sango's POV_)

I didn't know what was going through Sesshoumaru's head as he sat and watched the small girl that we had once saved from Naraku. Her dark hair hung in front of her eyes as she traced some of my brother's marred features. The tears were threatening to fall again as I saw her draw a finger over his open and bleeding chest, unafraid. The lord stood up a moment later, and took the two steps needed to be at the small girl's side. He murmured something I couldn't hear, and the child looked up at him swiftly before nodding her head vigorously. He commanded her to back away from the three bodies lined next to the wall…

(_Sesshoumaru's POV_)

I was going to do it. For my honor, and in reverence for the honor of my… brother. I felt… grateful to him. I'd never felt that emotion much. I'd always felt it towards Rin, and once towards that wolf youkai that saved her when my reflexes weren't fast enough. They hadn't been fast enough this time, either, but I would have been alright. The Tenseiga would not have allowed me to die, but… he wouldn't have either. He… protected me… when I was vulnerable, even though we've been rivals all our lives. When I asked Rin if she wanted them to live again, she had nodded her head in the affirmative so vigorously that I could hardly back away from my decision. Then again, I couldn't have even if I had wanted to. A glance at the hope in Rin's face, the one of curiosity and slight gratefulness on the Slayer's, and the one still contorted in grief of the other hanyou would not permit it. I had long since noticed the Mark on her lower lip, and could easily tell it was my brother's.

I lifted my sword, my hand, surprisingly, was trembling slightly. It steadied though, with one look at Inuyasha's face.

(_Normal POV_)

"LIVE!" he shouted, slicing down with his Healing Sword. The single swing took out all the death-minions that perched on each of the bodies, and they disintegrated instantaneously. At Sesshoumaru's cry, Kagome's eyes had shot open from their terror-filled sleep and she sat up in time to see her once-dead love do likewise. The utter joy on her face as she quickly scrambled up and over to him to throw her arms around his neck was a reward like none the youkai lord had ever received. She pressed her lips to her mate's in deep passion as Sango held her brother and her love at the same time and cried over them both, as well. Rin gave a happy laugh as Kohaku drew her into the hug as well.

"Thank you so much, Sesshoumaru!" he heard whispered beneath the din. He could tell, though, who it came from. You couldn't miss Kagome's voice for the world at that moment. A low and sweet whisper fitted her well. But Inuyasha looked up at him in confusion, and the noise died down as he stood to face his brother.

"You revived me? Why? You've always wanted me dead," he said, utter bewilderment all over his features. The elder of the two let a smile slip into place as he held out his hand.

"You sacrificed yourself for me, even though the Tenseiga would have kept me alive," he replied, his voice still emotionless. Inuyasha took his hand and shook it, a light blush creeping onto his face.

"To tell you the truth, I completely forgot that you had it!" he said, chuckling a little bit at his slightly humorous mistake. "I just… did it. Trust me, I have no idea why!" His chuckle became a raucous laugh. Things happened so fast after that it was hard for the, usually removed, youkai to take it all in! Kagome gave him a huge hug, and Rin latched onto his leg; Sango, Kohaku, and Miroku started to laugh heartily and Ayame let out a small giggle of her own as she let herself fall in with the group's joy.

"I have… my reasons for coming to find you," he managed through the uproar. They quieted down. "Inuyasha, do you realize how long it has been since you've come to the annual Spring Dance?"

Inuyasha let that sink in for a minute.

"NO! PLEASE! DON'T MAKE ME GO…!"

* * *

Kagome had to firmly 'sit' Inuyasha about three times after that to keep him from racing off and disappearing. Did I say three? Make that…

"Osuwari."

_Crack!_

Four. Hehe.

"Kagome! Would you cut that out?!" Inuyasha whined, rubbing his head from it coming in contact with the solid rock floor of the cave.

Sango wouldn't hardly let Kohaku out of her sight, and she was fussing over Miroku like a mother hen. It was… actually quite comical. She would obviously make a good mother with this show of affection. Her brother and Miroku were both very happy to be alive, and they felt just fine thanks to the Tenseiga. The wolf that Sesshoumaru had seen Ayame holding had actually her grandfather, and she had buried him earlier. He had been full of days, and it was his time.

Kagome had taken the news of the ball quite well. She didn't mind, even though her mate seemed to be convinced it was the worst thing on the planet. He said that everyone hated him because he was a half-breed, and it wasn't unusual for at least one person to try and kill him if Kerushi wasn't there with him. Kagome blew it off. She didn't care; no one could ever be as hard to beat as Naraku, and she had just destroyed that sucker in one blow. With the Tetsusaiga, sure; and Inuyasha most definitely wouldn't want her to fight his battles for him. With that thought, she let out a small giggle.

"What's so funny, Kagome?" Sango asked, looking up from mending a few rips in Miroku's robes. Kagome shook her head and then winked at her sister/friend.

"Oh, nothing. Just a funny mental picture," she said, her eyes telling her that she'd find out sooner or later. Sango gave a knowing smile, and returned to work on her patch-up jobs.

Kagome leaned her head on Inuyasha's shoulder; it felt good to be near him; she felt that when Naraku killed him, she'd never see him again. She was beginning to wonder, though, what she would do with the Jewel. She didn't have any use for it, and Inuyasha was content being a hanyou now. Kohaku lived, the need for the shard now gone, and everyone had been avenged who had died because of Naraku's treachery. A frown slipped onto her features as she fingered the shiny pink stone. Her mate glanced down at her.

"Kagome, are you worried about what to do with the Jewel?" he asked quietly, drawing the bangs out of her eyes. She nodded wordlessly. He looked like he was about to say something, but he was interrupted.

_(Crack of Hiraikotsu vs. Skull)_

"HENTAI!"

"Ouch, sis. I just _watched_ and it hurt."

* * *

**AN: Whee! The next one! Inu-kun didn't die! (_hearts Fluffy_) Review minna.**

**Next Time: The Demon Ball**


	8. The Demon Ball

_**Note:**__ The word amai is Japanese for 'sweet'._

**Chapter 8- The Demon Ball **

Kagome and Inuyasha had sent the other three of their group back to Kaede's village, and Ayame had traveled with them to the palace of the Lady Amai, a cougar demon. The ball was always held there. Sesshoumaru, also, was required to be there that year. He hated going to the royal social gatherings as much as his younger brother did, but it was required of him. At this very moment, Inuyasha, Kagome and Sesshoumaru were standing to the side of the room watching as the others mingled. A familiar scent caught Kagome's nose.

"Inuyasha, do you smell that?" she whispered with a giggle. He sniffed the air and looked at her confusedly; he knew a lot of these scents, why would one particular one stand out? She giggled lightly again. "It's Kouga!"

Sesshoumaru glanced at her. He remembered that wolf youkai; he had saved Rin from a demon one time when he, himself, had not been able to react fast enough. (See Episode 99: Kouga and Sesshoumaru: A Dangerous Encounter.) He began to cast around a seemingly careless glance as Ayame walked up and started a light conversation with Kagome.

"You looking for him?" he heard Inuyasha ask. He spared his now quite comfortably called brother a glance before nodding.

"He saved Rin from a demon's attack once," he said in his normal, monotonic voice. His brother seemed a bit surprised, but then chuckled under his breath murmuring about the good influence that someone had had on him. "Who had a good influence on whom?"

"Kagome on Kouga. When he discovered how Kagome could see the shards of the Shikon no Tama, he immediately started telling everyone that he loved her. He went so far as to stop killing humans for her!" Sesshoumaru's impassive visage contorted in surprise for a minute, but quickly returned to normal. This was yet another reason for him to be grateful to his brother's mate.

_This is getting absolutely ridiculous! Every time I think I've finally repaid my debt, I find that there was something else they've done for me that I didn't even know about!_ he thought to himself in exasperation. They saved Rin from Naraku, his brother sacrificed his life for him even though he would've lived anyway, his brother's mate was the one that had gotten the wolf youkai Kouga to like humans and therefore indirectly saved Rin's life. What would these people do for him next?!

"Kagome!"

She looked up from her conversation with Ayame and almost directly into the intensely blue eyes of her former suitor. She gave a nervous smile and laugh as he took her hand.

"You look as beautiful as ever!" he exclaimed, looking over her traditional kimono. Although she could have worn her other one, she had several rips and tears in it from the battle, and she had borrowed some clothing from Ayame so that Sango could take her own kimono to Kerushi to be mended. A moment later, his eyes widened, and she realized that he had finally noticed her new features.

_Well, there's one way to get a guy to leave you alone. Just change species._ She gave a dry, mental laugh at the silent crack. _I think I now understand why Ayame was being so friendly._

"Kagome… you've… been marked!" he murmured in a low voice, obviously shocked. Her blank look for a moment told him that she didn't understand, but he turned to growl at Inuyasha a moment later; _he didn't notice I'm a inu hanyou, just that Inuyasha marked me?_ Surprisingly, her mate was quite indifferent to his antics. In order to alleviate the situation, she got the okami's attention in a few simple words.

"How about a dance?" she asked him congenially, giving her koishii a worried look. Inuyasha returned her a slightly surprised glance, but nodded his head in approval a moment later, supposedly understanding. Kouga led her onto the dance floor, and began to gracefully twirl her about the room, his movements expertly executed.

"So… when did he mark you?" he asked, slightly uncomfortable. She smiled at him gently, understanding that he wished he'd gotten to her first.

"Hmmm… I suppose about ten days ago," she murmured, but was still confident that he'd heard her. All youkai had super senses; there was no way he'd missed it. She suddenly stopped her swan-like movements and pulled him to the side of the room. "Why don't you go get us something to drink, alright? I just remembered something I needed to tell Inuyasha."

Kouga, of course, agreed to her suggestion without argument, and she did walk over to Inuyasha and talk to him, but it was nothing important. In all reality, there was only one reason she had asked him to go get them a drink, and that was because…

"Hi Kouga."

Ayame, too, was getting a drink.

"A- A- Ayame!" he stammered slightly surprised. Truth be told, he hadn't even noticed her the few minutes before when he had first come upon Kagome, he had had eyes only for the dark-haired beauty. But in her long, traditional kimono of white with green and red designs around the neck, hem and sleeves, she was just plain _eye-bugging beautiful_! She let a small giggle out at his reaction to the new her. (A/N: Picture this, Ayame in a the above color scheme in a formal female version of Sessy's usual. And she wound her pigtails up into a couple of buns on either side of her head and tied them with green ribbons.) He searched desperately for something to say to the young demoness whose heart he had won, but there were no words. "How's… your grandfather?" he finally managed to ask. Her face fell.

"He died in the battle with Naraku." And that was it. Kouga had heard nothing about the battle; he had still been searching for Naraku! He commanded her to tell him all the details, and she gladly complied, telling him to come with her into the garden so that they could talk alone. Of course, she had other intentions…

* * *

A small cat demoness walked up to Sesshoumaru-sama, bowing her head respectively.

"Pardon me, milord," she began quietly, "but someone has sent you a gift!"

The reserved youkai looked down at the young thing emotionlessly, and she handed him a single, crystallite rose of extraordinary beauty. He examined it carefully, looking over every one of its petals and thorns with a critical eye, and before him, the hue slowly shifted from blood-red to a shade of ice blue like the clearest of winter skies. His sharp eyes could just barely depict a form in the center that was curled into a fetal position. He turned it about, inspecting it again, and the light blue slowly faded into an adorable tone of blush-pink. He dismissed the girl, still preoccupied with the strange gift in his hand. He vaguely heard his brother chuckle under his breath, but did not acknowledge it. The tiny figure inside the rose was so fascinating…

* * *

Inuyasha had known from the moment the child had handed his brother the exotic gift that it had been Kerushi. Walking into their room and finding their kimonos thoroughly mended and awaiting them was just a perfect confirmation of what he already believed.

"You'd better get into your kimono, Kagome. I don't plan on sticking around for the night," he said, picking up his own and walking behind the screen. Even though they were mates, they were still overly modest around each other.

They were still nervous about it. The first time they had slept together had been the night before, and Kagome had snuggled deep into his arms, falling immediately into a sleep that had been nearly impossible to get her out of that morning.

He adjusted his haori, and stepped out as Kagome finished throwing her quiver over her shoulder and pulling her hair from beneath it's soft leather strap. They slipped silently out the shoji door and into the night, the stars and full moon washing everything in a soft white glow. Their eyes adjusted to the level of darkness, and they leapt over the wall surrounding the modest citadel. Her hand clutched tightly at her bow as they made their ways through the forest. It was a good night's journey before they would reach Kaede's village, and she was anxious to see her brother again. It had now been over a week since Kagura had brought them the message of Naraku's whereabouts. _Souta… little brother… it'll be good to see you again._

Inuyasha glanced to his side. The look on Kagome's face told him everything, and he completely agreed. It's going to be good to be home.

* * *

**AN: Teehee. Hint of SessOC in this chapter. Because Kerushi is me, in a sense, and I love Sessy. XP Show the lurve, ppl- LEAVE A REVIEW! XDD**

**Next Time: Visiting the Future, Part 1**


	9. Visiting the Future, Part I

**Chapter 9- Visiting the Future**

"KAGOME! YOU'RE BACK! YAY!" she heard her brother screech with joy as they collapsed on the floor about eight o' clock the next morning. Shippou and Souta were both latched onto her within moments of the screech, of course, Miroku, Sango, Kohaku, Gin and Kaede all laughing heartily at their antics. She sighed and gave them both a hug before staggering up beneath their weights and over to her bag.

"If… grunt… you two… don't mind," she said, "I'd like to go soak in the hot spring for an hour. That trip was no piece of cake. Two rivers, three youkai attacks and a ravine don't mix well," she told them. Sango stood and picked up the towels and hair supplies for the girl and Kohaku got a handle on Souta and Shippou. Kagome was about ready to collapse again, but the prospect of a dip in the local hot spring was wonderful enough to keep her going. She, Sango and Gin were going to have some major girl-talk.

"So how was the ball, Kagome?" Gin asked her in a motherly tone as she dipped her bare foot gingerly into the water. Kagome wasted no time. She simply plopped herself into the steaming water and sank beneath the surface, not coming up until a full five minutes later, effectively scaring her mother out of her mind.

"It was great…" she said, relaxingly rubbing her hair beneath the water and then beginning to shampoo it thoroughly. "Kouga and Ayame kissed, Kerushi discreetly flirted with Sesshoumaru-sama, and Lady Amai said that Inuyasha and I were welcome anytime we needed a place to stay. All in all, I think everything went pretty well."

The three talked for most of the time. As she had guessed, her mother did ask for all the details, and she had somewhat given in, leaving out the part where Kouga asked her about the mark; she hadn't exactly had the chance to tell her mother what was going on yet…

"One more thing, Kagome," Sango began. "What's with the two scars on your lower lip? I don't remember you getting a wound like that there before."

The half-demoness groaned, sinking beneath the surface of the water and scrubbing at her hair violently for a moment before resurfacing and answering her barely above a whisper.

"Inuyasha… marked me," she murmured unsteadily. Sango's expression was one of complete shock, and Gin's was of slight confusion, and then realization. _Marked…?_ Their thoughts, unconsciously, echoed in unison.

"Kagome, do you mean to say that Inuyasha has claimed you to be his mate?" her mother asked in somewhat, but not very well, veiled excitement. The young hanyou nodded slightly, unsure as to her mother's reaction. But not for long! Gin was all over her in moments, hugging, kissing and giggling girlishly with excitement over her one and only baby girl. "How wonderful!"

"You're… ok with it?" Kagome asked, still surprised over her mother's reaction. Ms. Gin hugged her even harder.

"Ok with it?! Kagome, I'm delighted! I knew Inuyasha would make a good mate for you some day!" she told her lovingly. Kagome blushed a million shades of red at her mother using the term 'mate' so freely; even she and Inuyasha didn't talk about it! She smiled reservedly.

_Ok… well, there goes the neighborhood. Now she's gonna be trying to give us a ton of alone time!_

* * *

Inuyasha rested in his usual corner of the hut, the Tetsusaiga leaning against his shoulder as he drowsed. He could hear Shippou, Kohaku and Souta playing outside the hut on the shrine grounds, and Miroku and Kaede were talking over charms.

"So, Inuyasha, ye have marked Kagome have ye?" Kaede stated, glancing over at the silver-haired boy that she had startled out of his light sleep. He looked stunned for a moment, blushing a hundred shades of red at the realization that she knew. He smiled sheepishly, nodding at the elderly miko.

"How long ago did you notice?" he asked, his voice barely loud enough for her to hear. She smiled.

"When ye came in speaking of Kagura's message."

"So…" he blushed even deeper about what he was about to admit to the two holy people, "you've known since the beginning."

Miroku chuckled lightly and Kaede gave him a soft smile.

"Congratulations, Inuyasha. I wish ye well," she said, returning to her talk with the monk and leaving him to his thoughts. What thoughts? He was too tired to think!

_We're probably never going to get any rest around here, though. Between youkai attacks, spying monks and slayers, and kids running all over the place, we aren't going to catch up on rest in any sense of the term! _the hanyou thought, restraining a mental groan that desired to surface. But, surprisingly enough, a thought struck him just as he heard the three young women returning from the hot springs. They entered the hut, and Kagome immediately went to his side and melted onto the floor next to him, her head burrowing into her shoulder. She sighed tiredly.

"Don't say a word. I'm too tired to argue with you."

"I was just going to ask if you thought we might be able to rest better if the two of us went to your time for a couple of days," he murmured, stroking her hair gently. She hesitated for a minute before a muffled 'more than likely' escaped her lips, but even then she didn't move, and two minutes later, her breathing softened, and she was asleep.

* * *

Kagome shifted groggily, and the sun danced over her face, beckoning her to awaken to the day. Her moan could not be kept away from her vocals, though, as she buried her head into something that was both soft and firm at the same time. Her half-awake mind couldn't quite process what it was that she had snuggled herself against so tightly in the night, and began working furiously to do so, effectively bringing the haninu girl to a state of consciousness.

It was Inuyasha's chest.

At first she was a little surprised, but the shock wore off as she watched her mate's sleeping face. As always, he looked like such a young boy when he was asleep, his features all lax and sweet. The faint indications of his awakening did not go unnoticed, even as she scanned her surroundings and recognized the place as her old home. A vague humming was heard from the direction of the kitchen, and she gently removed herself from her husband's embrace and stood from where she had lain. He remained in a half-conscious state as she moved towards the sound of someone singing. Peeking through the doorway, she was slightly surprised to see Ayumi making breakfast. Unconsciously, Kagome's feet tread silently across the floor as she made her way to sit on one of the barstools at the counter. Ayumi was still unaware of her watcher, or… so she seemed.

"Good morning, Kagome-chan. Did you and Inuyasha sleep well?" she queried in her normal tone as gently as a sister of her younger charge. Kagome was slightly shocked that the girl had sensed her, but her reply gave nothing of it away.

"Yeah, thanks. I hope we aren't imposing…"

"Not at all! You're welcome to come over anytime. Otoosan and Okaasan said so," she informed the teen proudly. Kagome froze for a moment. Her mind was suddenly numb.

"You… told them… about us?" she asked uncertainly of her friend. The teen turned away from her work and smiled at her.

"I didn't have to. They already knew."

"They did?" the haninu asked fearfully. "How? How did they find out?"

"You told them, of course," Ayumi told her, the curly-haired teen's face marring in confusion. Kagome shook her head stiffly.

"I haven't told anyone!" she declared.

"Oh, come on, Kagome! Don't tell me you don't remember when you told me you came through a time warp in the old Bone-Eater's Well! It wasn't that long ago, was it?"

The disoriented half-dog spun around at the new voice. Her eyes were met with a woman in her early twenties, with dark auburn hair and eyes the same color as the spring leaves of the Sacred Tree. She smiled, and delicate fangs glistened in the sunlight that poured through the windows of the kitchen. A man with hair like the black night came up behind the woman but a moment later, and his cerulean eyes danced playfully in silent laughter. It took only a single second, though, for Kagome to register who the two were.

"Kouga! Ayame! You're-!"

"Ayumi's father and mother, yeah. You know Kags, I haven't seen you in forever!" he said, looking her over for a moment. "I see that you're the younger, of course…"

"Younger?" the Inu-Miko queried of her former suitor, her ears cocking in a confused manner. The two of them laughed.

"Younger, as in the older you is still alive," Ayame told her.

" 'Older you'? As in, Kagome lives in the present twice over?" Inuyasha asked, surprisingly lucid for it being so early in the morning as he rubbed his eyes and went to stand by his wife. Ayumi remained thoroughly confused, and said so.

"Ayumi dearest, we forgot to tell you that we meant Kagome in the _past; _as in past… 500 years ago. That's when she told us," her mother said gently. Unfortunately, there was a little something that they had forgotten to mention to their daughter.

"Okaasan… did you come through the well a long time ago or something?" the book-prone teen asked cautiously. Ayame glanced back at her husband worriedly. Kagome and Inuyasha were beginning to understand what was happening, and they braced themselves.

"No, Ayumi. We lived back then. Your father and I… are demons. Wolf demons."

"And… I'm one, too?" Her parents nodded.

Ayumi promptly fainted.

* * *

Kagome and Inuyasha had taken quite a while to stop their giggle fits over Ayumi's reaction. It was just so blamed _comical_! They couldn't really help themselves.

The curly-haired bookworm had yet to awaken, but Kagome and Inuyasha were perfectly alright with it. Kouga and Ayame were busily trying to pinpoint just exactly when in the journey the two were since their memories had become a tad fuzzy after having five hundred years to pass between them and the occurrence.

"Oh, yes! I remember!" Ayame said, silently blushing at the remembrance of what had been so noticeable on that _particular _occasion. It was the night of her first kiss. Kouga, too, remembered not long after his wife's comment, her features serving to refresh his memory. Yet again, a blush.

_Hmmm… this could get interesting…!_

* * *

**AN: Part II up next. Enjoyzez.**


	10. Visiting the Future, Part II

_**Disclaimer:** Takahashi Rumiko owns all characters, including Inu-kun _

**Chapter 10- Visiting the Future Part II**

When Ayumi finally awoke, her mother and father were talking with Kagome and Inuyasha amicably. She could hear their conversations, but the words were mindless ramblings that made no sense to her fuzzy mind.

"Oh! Shippou was so darling then!"

"The little brat was annoying sometimes, but he was ok. Say, how are Sango and Miroku? If I'm correct, he hasn't proposed to her yet."

"You're right! He hasn't! When does he?"

"Propose? Soon, that's all I know."

Her mind begged to understand and to awaken to the meaning of these messages, but it seemed impossible. _Let's see… the first speaker was ok__aasan, the second was ot__oo__san and the third was Kagome before Ot__oo__san responded to her question. But… who are Shippou, Sango and Miroku? Ohhh, my head!_

Ayumi groaned and shifted on the couch. She heard the murmurs seem to buzz a little bit louder and become more excited. Her dark, dizzied gaze revealed to her a head of flaming red hair and a pair of evergreen-colored eyes.

"Mama? What… happened?" she asked groggily, sitting up with her mother's help. Her brain was still fuzzy, and her more recent memories were coming back in bits and pieces.

"_Ok__aasan… did you come through the well a long time ago or something?" the book-prone teen asked cautiously. Ayame glanced back at her husband worriedly. Kagome and Inuyasha were beginning to understand what was happening, and they braced themselves._

"_No, Ayumi. We lived back then. Your father and I… are demons. Wolf demons."_

She groaned again, begging them in her mind to tell her that this was a nightmare. Her ears caught a giggle, and she quickly identified it as coming from Kagome. She looked at her questioningly.

"What? What's so funny?" she asked. Kagome's giggle turned into a full-blown laugh.

"What do you mean 'what's so funny'? It's comical! Your reaction would've sent anyone nutty, probably! But, I mean, just a little over a week ago you woke up to find that one of your best friends was a haninu; I would have figured that it would've prepared you somewhat! You were ok with it when you found out that I was a hanyou, so why'd you freak when you discovered you were a youkai, huh?" she asked, her laughter barely subsiding enough for her to speak at all. Ayumi looked insulted.

"Why do you think I freaked?! I've always thought I was a human through and through, Kagome!" At this, her laughter came even harder, but she managed to stop long enough to explain her reactions.

"Ayumi, I always thought that I was a normal girl, except for the fact that I lived on a old Shrine, but then on my fifteenth birthday my world came crashing down around my ears, so to speak. I was pulled through the old, sealed-up well by a humongous, half-human-looking centipede, discovered that I had magic powers and had the famous Shikon no Tama that I myself had never believed in inside my body, and learned that I was the reincarnation of an amazing priestess that lived 500 years before I was even born. Not to mention not long after that I started falling for her annoying, rude, violent, short-tempered and ramen-crazed ex-half-undead-boyfriend. Now, how can a person's life get more crazy? Oh, yeah, a year later, when I'm thinking about adopting a kitsune by the name of Shippou and have become like a sister to a monk and youkai exterminator, I find out that I'm a hanyou, too. C'mon, Ayumi, your reaction seemed comical to me. I kinda got worked up to learning about my heritage; you had to learn yours all at once. I guess I can understand, but that doesn't keep me from laughing!"

Kagome's summary of their adventures was interesting. While she and Inuyasha got into a tickle-fight over her name-calling, Ayumi looked back and forth between her parents.

"So… why do I look like a normal girl, huh?" she asked, her eyes studying her father's raven hair and cerulean eyes, and her mother's own scarlet tresses and emerald eyes. Truthfully, in coloring, she looked nothing like them. Her hair was a plain, dark brown, and her eyes were a deep cocoa color. She really didn't have any of their features. Ayame smiled and shoved back the sleeve over her daughter's right wrist, revealing a small, ancient bracelet of red beads and two small fangs.

"This is what hides your true appearance, Ayumi. A magic bracelet. Kagome gave it to us for you when you were born," she said softly. Kagome looked up from where she had pinned Inuyasha to the floor.

"I did what?" she asked. Her prey managed to escape to the couch beside her friend while she was distracted. Kouga laughed.

"Not you, Kagome, the other Kagome. Why don't we call you… Kags? We need something to distinguish the two of you!" he laughed. "This is why we trained you from a tiny child to put your bracelet on the minute you woke up. It's also the reason why we never allowed you to have a mirror in your room!"

Kagome was hyper now. Her small tussle with Inuyasha had upped her adrenaline. It was slightly comical, because now she was bouncing up-and-down on her toes, waiting impatiently for the two to finish their explanations.

"Yadda yadda yadda! C'mon, let's GO! I wanna teach Inu how to roller blade!" she said excitedly. Inuyasha didn't understand the concept of 'roll-er blayd', but he knew that Kagome was acting on a sugar-high without the sugar. Kouga laughed.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea Kags? He might… how do you teens put it? Freak?"

She shrugged carelessly. She had to do something to make this day fun, didn't she? Besides, nothing, not even one of her mate's tantrums, could be as bad as a fight with a youkai over Shikon Jewel shards, and she didn't have to worry about that anymore. Besides, it's not like he'd hurt her or anything.

* * *

"EEYAII!"

For the fifth time in less-than-so-many minutes, Inuyasha's butt met the concrete. Lucky for her, at least he _looked_ normal. Kouga had lent him a pair of black cargo pants and a red sleeveless t-shirt, and he had given both of them a bracelet like Ayumi's. Kagome had taken his hair back into a loose braid so it would be away from his face. She said that he'd look weird if he just left it to hang. (A/N: For those of you who watch Beyblade, think about Zeo's hair.) Her own hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she had borrowed a pair of denim shorts and red sleeveless mock-turtle-neck shirt from Ayumi. Her red and black inline skates, though, were ones she'd given to her friend for safekeeping.

"C'mon, Inuyasha, skating isn't _that _hard!" she said, giggling lightly as she helped him up once again. He growled at her.

"Yeah, maybe for _you_, Kagome!" he shot, steadying himself against her. "I'm used to having my feet on solid ground, remember?"

Ayame and Kouga decided to race each other around the park on a sudden whim. They took off, their blades moving swiftly over the sidewalks. Ayumi laughed as her mother pulled ahead, and Kagome joined not too long after. Inuyasha merely gave the couple a smirk, and a comment somewhere along the lines of "Kouga's getting beat by a girl, the dumb fleabag," but Kagome could tell he was actually growing fond of the man. Well, maybe not _fond_, but at least he wasn't trying to kill him for giving her a glance.

"Ok, let's get back to it, Inuyasha. I'm not going to let you take those skates off until I know you can blade just as good as the next person," she told him, suddenly pulling away. Surprisingly, though, he didn't lose his balance that time. For a moment he was slightly off-balance, but he calmed himself, collected his thoughts and began again. And, for the first six or seven feet, he did pretty well. Except the comrades that had decided to race, found the finish line. Unfortunately, this time it wasn't his butt that met the concrete. Kagome looked at him with retrained laughter.

"And I didn't even say 'it' this time!"

With that, the laughter was released.

* * *

Kagome brushed her hair, staring at her reflection in the fogged mirror. Inuyasha came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing a soft kiss to her neck. He looked into her eyes by way of the mirror, staring into her dark chocolate depths lovingly. He set his chin on her shoulder, the soft terrycloth of her bathrobe caressing his skin as she leaned her head against his.

"Inuyasha… let's go home."

* * *

**AN: And after an insufferably long absence, I have RETURNED! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! Okay, yeah, so you're probably ignoring this update and thinking "Hmm... Did I read this before? Was there something different about this story?" since it's been so long since I updated, but I hope you haven't completely forgotten me! FF still kinda hates me, at least the document manager does, so I'll try and start getting these up every couple or three days again. Until then, be patient with me! I'm a busy busy highschooler, even if I'm not working anymore!**

**_NOTE: THIS STORY IS VERY OLD. IT HAS BEEN COMPLETE SINCE ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. IF YOU'RE GOING TO CRITICIZE STYLE, I POLITELY REQUEST THAT YOU LOOK AT MY MORE CURRENT WORKS, TO BE FOUND IN THE NARUTO FANDOM, AND UNDER THE NINETAILED ANGEL PROJECTS ACCOUNT ALSO ON THIS SITE._**

**PS: Rejoice! Monday, June 9th, is Uchiha Itachi's birthday, Naruto-lovers, and I will be updating my fic "Soul-Mirror" in his honor, as well as posting a new fic called "Slipknot." For those of you who intend to read _Slipknot_ but are not up-to-date with the manga as it is coming out in Japan, I warn you ahead of time about spoilers!**


	11. A New Life

_**Disclaimer:** Takahashi Rumiko owns all characters, including Inu-kun_

**Chapter 11- A New Life**

"YES!"

Followed by a whoop of joy from the same female, it effectively helped two hanyou to admire nature face-first. Kagome moaned and sat up, but quickly shook off the headache to try and find Sango and see what was going on. After all, the voice was unmistakably hers. Hopefully the joyful shout had not been one of victory after sweet revenge on the little boy she called brother.

"Inuyasha, hurry up!" she called back to her mate. He remained only a few steps behind her, his mind still fogged a little with sleep, but he was lucid enough to answer her with an uninterested 'feh'. A few moments later, she pulled to a surprisingly sudden stop. He was about to ask what was wrong, but he followed her line of vision before he asked.

There before them, lying on the grass, were Sango and Miroku. He was on his back, his arms wrapped firmly around her waist and far from groping range, and she was straddled across his stomach, kissing the living daylights out of him. Kagome grabbed the back of Inuyasha's haori and dragged him into the bushes quickly and silently. They watched as the taijiya pulled away, looking at the monk lovingly. She shot a glance at her mate.

"When Kouga said 'soon', he wasn't kidding," she murmured, and he nodded his agreement.

* * *

Kagome and Inuyasha sipped a tangy-sweet broth inside the welcome shade of Kaede's hut while they waited for Sango and Miroku to return. Kohaku, Souta and Shippou had gone down to the river to bathe, and Gin was taking a nap in one corner of the hut. Kaede was out tending to some villagers. Inuyasha glanced over his mate and noticed one of her little quirks that was always an amusement. Her fingers were twitching.

He knew it sounded silly, but he understood that this happened whenever she was thinking over something extremely hard. He didn't see it often when she was doing her schoolwork, but he had seen it many times when learning the new herbs that Kaede had taught her, and in the practicing of her archery. Sometimes, when she was focused extremely hard on the target, her fingers would tremble for a moment before she pulled the arrow back. She never noticed it at all. A small smile lit his features.

"What's wrong, Kagome-koishii?" he asked tenderly, quietly, his voice only audible to hanyou ears. One of the aforementioned appendages turned his direction, a small beam of sunlight catching it and making the strands highlight with their dark, iridescent green. She withdrew the bowl from her lips, resting her hands in her lap and sighing.

"I was just thinking about our situation at present," she murmured. _Uh oh, she only talks like that when she's __really__ depressed…_ "Inuyasha, we can't live with Kaede-baba forever. We need a home of our own. Mama and Souta need a home of _their _own. Sango and Kohaku and Shippou and Miroku, too! We just can't stay here anymore, Inuyasha."

He looked at her, surprised for a moment. He was supposed to worry about such things, not her! But now that she had it brought before him, he had to tell her what he had been thinking.

"I know, Kagome. I've been thinking about it for a long time, since even before I claimed you. And… what do you think about returning to the Slayers' village?"

She turned to him, the same beam of sunshine that had lit her ear flashing across her evergreen and unearthly white-gold eyes. Her surprise at his suggestion told him that she might not agree, but as her mystical orbs searched his, he understood that it was merely assurance that she sought. He placed his bowl aside, and moved to kneel before her. Taking her clawed hands in his own, he looked at her lovingly.

"Kagome-koishii, we will teach each other to be strong. I will teach you, you will teach me, and we will teach the others. Sango will lend us her knowledge of weaponry, and Miroku will teach us the ways of the scholars, the learning of our day. We will make a home in the village of the youkai exterminators, and live there until our days are done. What say you?" he asked softly. Her mouth gaped slightly; shocked at his speech, amazed that he was such a wonderful speaker. A smile lit her lips gently, and his only answer was a kiss.

* * *

Souta threw the sickle again at the piece of wood that Kohaku had set on end. His aim was getting better and better, and the taijiya boy was surprised at how quickly he learned. He had easily learned the trick to always catching the scythe, but the aim seemed a little harder.

"Try aiming a little above where you want it to go, ok?" the boy instructed. He watched as the sunlight flashed across the haninu's eyes, the jade and silver seeming to glow like fire for a moment. Souta took a step back. His heavy lashes closed over the strangely soft eyes in concentration.

A quick lash, a flash of light, a rush of air.

The board had been finely cut. Perfection.

* * *

**AN: Wow. It's been a while, huh? XP Gomen nasai! There were technical difficulties, and then just plain I-don't-want-to's, but in the end, here it is! Eheh.**

**Please make Sango even happier by reviewing!**


	12. Heading for the Slayer's Village

**Chapter 12- Heading to the Slayers' Village**

"Shippou, get back here! This isn't funny!" Souta yelled as he chased the kitsune around the camp, weaving in amongst the trees and bushes, attempting to catch the mischievous lad. While he had been bathing, the young fox had quietly made himself appear as Kirara, snatching his haori up and walking away while the item's owner was oblivious to his actions. "Give it back!"

With a streak of black and green, and a surprised shout from a certain kitsune, Souta was surprised to find the garment flung over his head but an instant later. Lifting it to see who had done him the favor, his light jade eyes met with the dark evergreen and white-gold hues of his sister's orbs, and he noted that the smirk on her face said, "Where would you be if you didn't have me?" A hot blush rose on his face, and he mumbled an embarrassed thanks.

Kagome tossed the kitsune into mid-air, and he was caught a moment later by Inuyasha, who took him down towards the hot spring to make sure that his actually _did _bathe that time. With a contented sigh, she took a seat next to the campfire, stretching languidly and leaning back against a tree. A bright pink, marble-like object hung from a silver chord around her neck, glinting in the sun. What was it again? Oh, yes. The Shikon no Tama, Jewel of Four Souls. The young hanyou's glance was riveted on the object for a moment, but he turned away, opting for the small box of oil paints and package of papers he'd brought with him. Maybe he'd be able to get in a good portrait before his brother returned…

* * *

"C'mon, Shippou, I'm not gonna let you out of there until I've made sure that you've scrubbed every last inch of your scrawny body!" Inuyasha called as he tossed the kitsune back into the center of the hot-spring. "And maybe you don't recall, but Higurashi-san was hoping to bathe as well."

The kitsune grumbled as he dunked himself under the water again before wading back towards the rocks that surrounded the heated pond and grabbing the bottle of light-blue slime that Kagome typically used in his thick mane of hair. After scrubbing so hard and long that the suds nearly compassed his body completely, he submerged himself once again, rinsed the entirety of the foam away and stomped out of the pool angrily, leaning over onto all fours to do the popular imitation of a wet dog.

"Are you satisfied now?" the irritated child asked. Inuyasha cuffed him gently, but it was enough to send him sprawling in the direction of the camp.

"Don't ask me. Ask Kagome."

With that, the two made their way back to the campsite. Inuyasha glanced around as they went. None of them had seen anything of Sango or Miroku all day, and he was beginning to wonder about them.

_Feh, probably just planning their wedding. Mortals seem awful keen on big ceremonies for that kind of thing. No wonder I prefer the youkai ways. Plain and simple. But they'd better get back soon, or I'll have to go looking for them! Hmm… I wonder if Kagome's gonna cook ramen for lunch…?_

* * *

Gin leaned back in the water, glorying in the way it soothingly crept over her flesh. The water even _felt _fresher in the Feudal Era, and it looked so clear and inviting. For a moment, her thoughts flashed back to Tokyo, the place that had been her home for all of her life. Kagome… she had been there such a short while. They didn't think about how long she had lived there, yet she was still so young! Only thirty-three… she wasn't too very old at all.

She groaned and sunk further beneath the steaming water, with the ripples from her movements being the only thing to disturb its pristine beauty. Her thoughts flowed away on those tiny waves, and her mind seemed to tangibly relax beneath the warm embrace of water. She lightly rubbed a wash-cloth over her body, the soft scrubbing helping to further relax her. So oblivious was she to the outside world that she did not hear when angry shouts and feral screeches drew near to the secluded opening in the foliage. There was a sudden crash through the underbrush, and a tall figure leapt out of the shrubbery, surprising her so much that she was speechless for a moment. Much to her shock, he dove into the hot spring, his movement so precise that the ripples that were her own were not changed at all by his action.

"Over this way!"

"Yeah, I saw him head through here!"

In but a moment, a group of fifteen or so men crashed through the underbrush, coming to a stop in the small opening. Gin had, unfortunately, stood when the man had dove into the water, and this was the last thing needed to tip her stability scale.

A scream that would've made _human_ ears bleed rocked the forest.

Within a moment, the area surrounding the hot spring had been cleared of any male specimens whatsoever, thanks to three very annoyed, or angry, in Kagome's case, hanyou.

"There's one more! He's in the spring!" the woman said in distress as her daughter tried desperately to calm her. She had wrapped herself in a thick towel, and stood next to Kagome, shivering dreadfully as she watched Inuyasha survey the area in which she had been relaxing. He sighed, and slipped off his haori and gi before diving into the water as gracefully as the man before.

To the great surprise of those present, the water began to bubble and boil, and in a matter of moments it was as though a geyser had been unleashed from the very deepest pits of the small pool, the rage of it was so great. On occasion, bits of white and red could be caught, and strangled battle cries were frequent. With a swift movement, Kagome shed her top and pants in preference for the yukata beneath, and leapt into the fray, leaving her brother and mother on the shore to wait. After a moment, the fracas quieted and the water stilled. The two were beginning to worry when suddenly the two hanyou burst forth from beneath the steaming and tranquil water, a struggling, white-clad male figure between them. He struggled with as much strength as he could muster, but he was visibly weak and thin. The two dropped him on the ground before her, and Inuyasha unsheathed his Tetsusaiga as insurance that he wouldn't try anything desperately stupid.

"Who are you? Why were you running from those men?" he demanded of the stranger calmly, if not a slight bit irritably. He gave a hacking cough, a little bit of water purging itself from his lungs. With a few heavy gasps, he managed to lift his head and look into the eyes of the stunned ningen woman.

"I am Prince Korrare. I am sorry. Please, allow me to explain."

* * *

**AN: Say "WOWOMG SHE FINALLY UPDATED!" Because I did. XP Anywho, here it finally is. For those of you who like this, I'll have you know I've gotten loads better in the four years since I wrote it. Unfortunately, now all the stuff I write is crack pairings. For Inuyasha, I write mostly SessKag anymore. And I hope to be posting those stories... soonish. Bombard me with reviews. I will love you.**


	13. Sesshoumaru and Kerushi

**Chapter 13- Sesshoumaru and Kerushi**

The enormous palace garden was in full bloom, an array of pink and white and blue flowers covering the landscape. Tastefully arranged beds of them were rampant over the turf and in perfectly situated places there could be found reds and yellows, as well. A small waterfall and stream ran through the heart of the place, and it was as if Eden had returned to earth. A young girl of no more than nine climbed a cherry tree to pick some of the perfectly bloomed sakura and added them to her bouquet of flowers. It was small, for she did not wish to pick too many, but even for so young a child the deep pink and midnight blue blossoms were exquisitely arranged.

"Rin! Be careful up there, ok?" a petite ningen teen called to her gently as she looked up from a patch of spider-lilies. "You don't want to fall!"

"I'll be careful!" the child returned sweetly, an innocent smile on her face. "Kerushi-san, why don't you come up here with me?"

The teen shook her head playfully. A giggle came from the little girl, and she quickly made her way down from the tree and across the short space to the woman's side. Putting on her best puppy face, she looked up at her.

"Kerushi-san, will you take me up?" she asked cutely. The sentence, of course, reflecting on the child's knowledge of her actually being youkai, though many of the servants still thought her ningen. She was asking her to transform into something with wings so that the two of them could fly around for a while. With a long-suffering sigh, she nodded her head, placing her small bouquet on the ground and standing.

She began to change. A soft light emanated from her, a color like deep purple, imperial purple, and fire seemed to engulf her of the same shade. Within no more than a minute, she had taken the appearance of a pristine white wild cat whose wings were made of the strange imperial flame. She leaned down a little bit, and the child hesitated not even the shortest second before vaulting onto her back eagerly. With a single, graceful leap, they were airborne.

The flames crackled and danced in the wind as they flew over the palace walls and made their way over the trees. With a new rush of wind, the wings of flame became ones of water, and they passed over a human village, landing next to a man in one of the expansive fields. He shouted in surprise, and backed away.

"It's ok! She won't hurt you!" Rin called to him, lifting her hands in a placating gesture. He stilled his movement, but was continuously wary of the demon that the child had befriended. She glanced over the field, a saddened countenance contorting her features. "Is this your field? Why does it not grow anything?"

"A field, no matter how fertile, can only grow things if there is rain," he told her sadly. Kerushi stretched her wings to the sun; expanding them and shifting them, making them grow to be as large as the field itself. She lifted herself into the sky, growing bigger to match the mass of her wings, and with a final shift, they flooded, raining over the field, the water running over the ground in small rivulets, the earth being so hard from drought that it could hardly soak in. Storm clouds darkened the sky, crying angry tears over her taking away their job. With a soft wind surrounding her, she settled back to the ground gently, picking Rin up by her obi and returning to the air with her as she waved a friendly good-bye to the farmer. Whether it was tears or the rain, she could not tell, but she could see that he was grateful. "Thank you, child! Thank you so much!"

"Don't thank me. Thank Kerushi!" the cute child called, motioning back to the youkai which carried her, but a moment later, they were out of sight over the trees. "Kerushi, am I gonna have to have a bath?"

The enormous cat gave a teasing growl, and the child sighed, crossing her arms.

"I thought so."

Rin splashed a human Kerushi playfully in the indoor hot-spring. The water-fight had been going on for a good five minutes, and everything and everyone was getting soaked. After a few more minutes, the two collapsed on opposite sides of the pool, breathless and happy. Rin dunked herself beneath the surface, scrubbing at her hair intensely before coming up, sudsing her tresses up into a white foam and black string bundle before dunking beneath the surface again and rinsing the froth away. Kerushi followed her example, but with a few less theatrical flares. Rin looked at her curiously for a minute, and when she didn't look away, the shape-shifter hanyou couldn't resist.

"What's the face?" she asked, cocking her head and giving herself puppy-ears like her best friend that also cocked in a questioning manner. The child giggled.

"Are you in love with Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked cutely, though somehow maintaining her little-girlish innocence. Kerushi was speechless for a moment, stuttering and tripping over her words before finally giving up. She looked at the child sheepishly, sinking further into the water.

"Am I really that obvious?"

Little did they know, but a certain, very _shocked _Dog-Lord was now backing away from the door, his thoughts reeling at what he'd heard. She was in love with him? Really? For some reason he had the insane urge to leap into the air and shout for joy, but he quickly pushed the sensation away. He'd known for… ahem… some time that he felt something more than camaraderie for the beautiful, vivacious hanyou, but thought that it was not mutual. Many times, he had contemplated having her for a mate, and it seemed as though he was finally getting his wish. He went to his bedchamber, and wrote a quick note, calling one of his servants and having her slip it under the door. Tonight… tonight was the night…

* * *

Rin and Kerushi parted ways, heading to their rooms for the night. The Lady stepped through her doorway lightly, but to her surprise, she tread upon a piece of parchment. She retrieved it and continued to the other side of the room, lighting a lamp and settling onto her bed next to it. It was a letter, evidently, and was addressed to her.

_Kerushi:_

_I have some business to discuss with you. If you will please come to my room tonight, I would be much obliged. I have a few questions that only you can answer._

_Sesshoumaru, _

_Son of Inu no Taisho, _

_Lord of the Western Lands_

She sighed. Questions? Answering questions was not her strong suit. She never was very good at explaining things. Hopefully they were simple.

* * *

She was so sleepy that lucidity was only a fleeting memory.

She knocked lightly on the door of the great Lord's room, trying not to fall asleep on her feet from exhaustion. An unemotional 'come in' caught her ears, now returned to a human form, and she pushed her way inside silently as her sleep-deprived human form would permit.

"You sent for me, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked quietly. He nodded from his kneeling position next to a low table, sipping a spicy-smelling tea from an intricately painted china cup. He motioned wordlessly for her to have a seat to his right, and she heaved a low sigh, lowering herself as gracefully as her fatigued body allowed to the cushion indicated. "You said something about questions, my lord?"

He placed the cup on the table, his golden eyes darting to her and emotion shining brightly in their depths. The moment she saw that, it was as if she'd been given an adrenaline shot; her sleepiness gave way into alert, and she straitened. She subtly obeyed the irresistible urge to change her body to that of an inu youkai, and the look intensified as she did. What… what could be going on in his mind…? That's when it hit her. His scent. There was arousal in it. His eyes were flaring the way she'd seen Inuyasha's flare for Kagome, Miroku's for Sango. And another sensation. A low growl, seductive in its softness, flowed from his chest. He moved from his kneeling position to sit next to her. He seemed much less intimidating without his armor and weapons… and the fur was nowhere to be seen, either… he seemed so much younger than he did then. A claw sifted through her hair, amazingly gentle, and every minute the growl intensified. He rubbed the base of her neck with his fingers softly, careful of his claws. She ran her hand up his arm, letting it rest on the one behind her head. He was… asking her in youkai language… he wanted her to be his mate…

Her eyelids fluttered closed, reveling in the feel of his warm hand against her neck. He shifted, drawing the hand down her to the small of her back, pressing her close to him. He nuzzled her neck, licking it lightly. The shape-shifter moaned, pressing herself further against him. He needed no more reply than that.

He pulled away, setting his forehead against hers. His golden eyes looked deep into light jade ones, making sure that he was reading her right. It took only a moment, though, for him to see it was a clear yes. He leaned down further, pressing his lips possessively against hers, parting them and taking her bottom lip between his fangs. He caressed it with his tongue once, and then sank them into the back, drawing them, cutting them through the warm flesh as her blood stained them and trickled further back into her mouth. They ripped free of her mouth, and his tongue softly lapped away the blood before he pressed his lips to hers once more, every bit as possessive as the first time, but a bit softer, not so urgent, but seductive. His hand undid her obi, and hers pressed away his haori and gi. They were mates forever. They were each others forever, never to be parted.

He drew her to his bed, where they discarded the remains of their clothes and her innocence became his.

* * *

**AN: If you think this is crapola, just keep in mind that I wrote it like, four years ago. Any I'm so different now that there's... really no comparison. SO! The reposing has FINALLY decided to resume! I'll try and keep up a stead pace and finish reposting this before the end of November. Sorry I took such a long break in between, but it's like... every time I thought to do it, I was somewhere inconvenient and couldn't. T_T It's not fair. At any rate, here it is!**

**Don't forget to visit my LiveJounral for updates and news!**


	14. The Prince

**Chapter 14- The Prince**

Prince Korrare sipped his tea delicately. Gin, even though she'd been scared of what he had done at first, had insisted that he get dry and have something to eat and drink first. He had gratefully accepted, saying that no-one had showed him such kindness in a long time. He now sat next to the fire in Inuyasha's haori, waiting patiently for his thick kimono to dry. He finished his tea, and set the cup aside with a heavy sigh. "Well, I believe it's time I told you my tale," he began, running a hand through his thick mane of evergreen-tainted hair. "I know that you might think me human at a first glance, but I'm really a youkai. My father was the Lord of the Northern Lands."

"But the northern lands are… many days journey from here…" Miroku commented to him in confusion. Korrare sighed heavily again.

"I have been running from my younger sister, I'm ashamed to say. At my father's death, several months back, she convinced everyone that I had poisoned him so that I could have the throne, but she poisoned him, not I. She called together all the men of the kingdom, saying that she would not be safe until I was dead, and they believed her. I now run for my life, unable to return home and unable to stop and rest." His downcast expression was heart-wrenching. Gin couldn't help but feel sorry for his situation. Run from his own home by one of those closest to him… she knew it had to be hard. He rubbed his forehead softly in a pain-filled gesture, and she could stand it no longer. She stood up and made her way to him softly, kneeling at his side and placing a soft hand on his shoulder, looking up at her daughter. Their eyes met, and after a moment, she nodded.

"We'll help you," the haninu began softly. Her mate seemed unalarmed, and she took that as agreement. "Show us the way. We'll fight her- or talk to her- whichever comes first. Trust me when I say we'll do everything in our power for you. Even if we can't get the kingdom back for you, we'll at least get her to leave you be, alright?" He looked up at them, hope in his deep magenta eyes. Was it that easy? Was it really that simple to ask for the help of total strangers? They were such a small band… how could they possibly hope to best such a host as his sister commanded? They were few and young, the eldest perhaps being the ningen woman at his side. A miko, two Slayers, a monk, a kitsune, a twin-tailed cat and three hanyou? The youngest of the hanyou was obviously unfit for battle, as was the fox-child. What about the neko? It was small, but appearances could be deceiving. The woman taijiya? And though her brother was only a child, he seemed to have dark secrets shining in his depths. What of the monk? He was only a low-level traveler, true, but what other power could he have to make him fit for battle? Even the miko he had doubts about. She seemed untrained, pampered and soft for a simple priestess. It looked like the group's only true assets were the two eldest hanyou. He had long since noted the sword at Inuyasha's side and its powerful aura. Kagome looked like she had some fair endurance, as well. The aforementioned miko saw the stunned and slightly unsure look on his face and gave an indignant snort.

"Sango and Kohaku were two of the best in their village. Miroku has been fighting all of his life and would lay it down for his comrades. My younger brother hasn't had much training, but for the most part, he can keep himself out of trouble. Same with Shippou. Kirara transforms to the size of a horse, and my mother has some impressive power as an markswoman, as do I. Inuyasha has his Tetsusaiga, and that should be enough to strike fear into even the heartiest of opponents," she told him impatiently. "Do not underestimate our group; we are small, but deadly." Prince Korrare nodded to her words. They were strong. He could even teach them to be stronger. They were loyal and would stand by his side. He would by loyal and stand by theirs.

"Inuyasha, when do we begin?" Gin asked softly from his side.

"Dawn. Let's treat this as a second Naraku though, shall we? We don't want any mistakes."

_There is no room for error, young Inuyasha, _Korrare thought darkly. _When handling Kaira, making a mistake means losing your life_.

* * *

**AN: Here it be~ Along with my reposting of my other Inuyasha story "Son of a Miko," I hope you're enjoying these fics. ^^ Be sure and look at my profile, and visit the Map Writers' home page! R&R~!**


	15. A New Quest

**Chapter 15- A New Quest**

That night, Kagome shoved Souta and Kohaku onto Kirara and sent her to Kaede's village, not wishing to risk their safety on such a mission. The twin-tailed neko returned with the dawn itself, and they were right on schedule. Sango and Miroku mounted the fire-cat, and Gin was carried by Inuyasha. They made quick time through the forest, and Gin estimated they'd traveled a good twenty miles by noon. The respite was short.

Sango was the first to sense it. They were surrounded. Miroku soon followed, sensing a veiled youki nearby. Kagome readied herself. Her thoughts were sarcastic and dry.

_Well, Inuyasha taught me just three days ago how to make use of my claw-related attack, so I guess now I get to try it out on flesh and bone. _The morbid thoughts did nothing to relieve her of any stress. Her mate seemed to believe they were no more than the advanced guard or a welcome-wagon gone wrong; he had yet to unsheathe his sword. Gin readied her bow, and Miroku had his staff in-hand.

The hanyou and youkai of the group easily heard the command to attack. It could not be missed for their sensitive ears, as the leader of the band was evidently just a mere mortal and expected them to be, also. Never mind that their leader's hair was shockingly silver.

They surged upon them, a band of fifty men or so, all of them quite clearly being mortals. The objective was a little hard for them to accomplish; they wished to take the leader alive and spare the others, as well.

"Kagome! Injure them just enough so they can't move!" Inuyasha commanded her above the uproar, and she passed the word along. The easiest wound to inflict that was simple enough to heal was one on the side, and thus she aimed. In minutes, ten of the men had fallen with four neat gashes on their sides, and Korrare and Kirara followed her example, landing ten each of their own. Sango used her katana to make similar slits. Miroku, his staff. Gin used her archery to pin several of them to trees by their clothing. It took quite a while, but Inuyasha was finally able to capture the leader. Holding the man tightly by the wrists, he borrowed some rope from one of the warriors and bound his hands; tightly, so that he couldn't escape, but loose enough so that he wasn't too uncomfortable. He didn't need to damage these peace talks before they even began. He took a seat before him, as did Prince Korrare. "Kagome, Sango, Gin-san? Please tend to the wounded men. Miroku, make sure none of them escape, but be gentle. And you are to explain your orders to us."

He had returned his gaze to the samurai before him, but the man had a stubborn look on his face. Kagome paused behind him and kneeled down to where her mouth was level with his ear to whisper to him a few morbid thoughts. He seemed to immediately change his attitude towards them, completely ready to cooperate in any way.

"Our orders from Lady Kaira were to capture and behead Prince Korrare on the charge of treason. He killed the Lord of the Northern Lands!" the excitable man called. Inuyasha gave an indignant snort.

"Use your head, would you? If he had killed the Lord, he wouldn't be running from you and trying hard not to hurt you. It's this Lady Kaira of yours," he informed the man roughly.

"He has poisoned your minds!"

"He's done nothing of the sort, good sir," Gin said, tending one of the nearby wounded, not even bothering to lift her head as she said so. "Inuyasha trusts him, and he is an excellent judge of character. It is you who have been deceived."

The man did not know what to say. The woman was clearly ningen, and the way she defended the Prince seemed to shine on something a little different from just camaraderie. The soft voice was warm, and seemed to genuinely believe in something about the man.

"Listen to me. Go home, and if you come across any more of my sister's troops, tell them to desist, alright? Once I finally get rid of her, you will have nothing to worry about from me," the young prince promised him softly. The samurai's glance was unsure, but it seemed that he was agreeable enough. Korrare leaned back, heaving a relieved sigh and running a clawed hand through his thick evergreen mane. "Very well, then. Allow us to patch up your troops, and then you may leave with the dawn."

Leave with the dawn, they did. At the first tint of light, he woke his troupe, and they were gone before the sun had fully risen. Korrare had chuckled, saying something about being unable to blame any mistakes they made on their training. Kagome and Inuyasha had managed to sneak a little time alone, even if it was only to hunt some victuals for their hungry pack. Gin was uncommonly quiet, having settled next to the prince and drifted off into her own thoughts; undoubtedly, they were connected to him as well, with the way her eyes cast him a furtive glance on occasion. Sango and Miroku were quietly busy with light wedding plans, and Shippou was listening to Korrare tell of his childhood in a palace.

"Every morning I was awakened by the servants-"

"Wow! You had servants?"

"Yes, many in fact, but they were paid a salary and were treated with respect like any other living being. Well, they would wake me up to begin the day before the sun had even tinted the sky-"

"That _early_?"

"Sometimes earlier! And we always…"

It went on this way until Kagome and Inuyasha returned with breakfast in hand, and even a little after. The kitsune was awed at the thought of palace life, and every aspect of his former life the prince related, the child would comment on in wonder. Korrare seemed… almost as if he was used to and bored with such responses, though the boredom was well-veiled. He told of beautiful gardens that ran rampant over the palace grounds, and the small waterfall and stream that ran through the whole work. He told of stables that held hundreds of horses; colors from strawberry roan to thunder-cloud dappled-gray and even several rare horses: the ones of solid black and white (AN: In reality, these horses aren't all that rare, but when you watch the anime, you'll notice that it seems all their horses are brown.). When they were done with their breakfast, though, it was Inuyasha's turn to comment.

"All I want to know is how numerous your forces are so I can have some idea of what I'm up against," he told him roughly, his hands habitually ensconcing themselves in the sleeves of his haori. Kagome scooted up next to him and threaded her arm though his, nodding in agreement. It was then that he face-faulted, and the incredible uncertainty and fear was revealed.

"That band of humans… it was miniscule from the full force. The youkai at her command? I… I could not even begin to count."

* * *

**AN: Tehe. It's back again~ Aren't I being consistent~? Well, here's the new chapter. I hope you like. We'll see if we can get another two up this week at least; hopefully three. Later! Don't forget to visit my website after you R&R~**


	16. Nightmare

**Chapter 16- Nightmare**

A man knelt at the foot of a beautiful woman; her locks more raven than the ravens, and thicker than the deepest shadows, with eyes the very shades of dry blood. She lifted the man's chin with a single, delicate, porcelain-white finger, drawing it sensually over his skin. He stared at her, eyes barely hinting at the fear that lay within his heart; only the smooth, unblemished skin touched him, but her claws were so deadly… he feared to even think of them.

"Dearest Hakuro, you understand this that I beg of you?" she asked him, her tone mocking every one of her words as she spoke them. His emotion consisted only of well-veiled apprehension as he nodded wordlessly, his short, ruby-red locks bouncing slightly around his chiseled features.

"Of course. I will personally bring that treasonous demon's head to you on a platter."

* * *

He could feel it. The blood literally turning to ice in his veins from her poison. His heart beginning to become encased and flattened in a frozen cocoon, unable to beat and bring life to his slowly dying body. His lungs were constricting with each breath, but each time they had less room to expand, for another layer of ice was forming within him. He knew what came next. The darkness. The screams. How many times had he seen this? She was dangerous; so dangerous, that she was never allowed to play games, for their mother had feared her accidentally scratching one of the other children. His sight blackened at the edges, the darkness closing in on his eyes as a little girl, hair like raven shadows, looked down into his fading orbs and smiled.

Gin awoke to sounds of struggling nearby and went to see what was wrong. Korrare, it seemed, was having a nightmare. He struggled beneath his light blanket, claws gripping and ripping at the ground in desperation. He seemed… unable to breath. She scrambled over to him quietly reaching down and pushing the long bangs away from his eyes. What was it he feared? What was it that could frighten so strong a man, and reduce him to whimpering like a small puppy torn from its dam? She thought on this for a moment, and something that she hadn't felt in a long time welled up inside of her. She held his thrashing body still and leaned over, placing a gentle, chaste kiss on his lips. She hadn't really intended to place it there, but she had, and regretted it not a bit.

His body ceased its writhing. His breathing calmed. It seemed as if his rest now… was the most peaceful he'd ever experienced. How could that be? A simple kiss to calm savage dreams of hateful things? She didn't understand what was so comforting, but if she was the one to calm his fears, then so be it. She pulled the blanket up over his body as he curled up into a ball on his side, his features relaxing more with each second that passed. Tugging her blanket over from the other side of the fire, she settled down next to him for the rest of the night.

And somehow, in those last hours of darkness and sleep, his hand found hers.

* * *

Kagome was the first to rouse, the dawn barely spreading its rose and violet-tainted fingers across the sky. Her ears swiveled, but the only sounds to be heard were the quiet breaths of her companions sleeping in the camp below, and the steady heartbeats of her mate. She restrained a yawn and removed herself from Inuyasha's grasp gently, slipping from the tree to the forest floor. The others would get a move-on faster if the fire was going in a nice blaze to keep them warm while they woke in the chilly gray morning.

A silent, light mist wove amongst the trees, touching everything like tendrils of floating water, each particle as cold as snow of the mountain ranges in which they had so often traveled. Her bare feet tread over the lush carpet of grass, her sharp eyes searching for likely sources of firewood. She noticed, a small smile on her face, that as she tread over various burrs, needles and rocks to be found in the grass, no pain seemed to register to her mind and body. It was amusing, though she wasn't about to test it out on something bigger to see if she got the same effect. Within a half hour, she had all the firewood she could carry, and likely, all that they would need to get going. She turned back, humming a faint tune that had graced her mind that morning, seeming like an angel watching her thoughts in faithful vigil.

_I've seen what daylight brings,_

_And day seems worse than night;_

_The bad things don't shy away from the light._

_They've learned to change to live._

The song was played in a minor key, she'd been told once. All she knew was that the music sounded like a spooky tune for All Hallows Eve. What was it called again…? Oh, yes: Shattered Crystals. By… heh, More Than Me. Good group. They played mostly ballads, and had a particular love for those spooky-sounding chords.

She stacked the wood beneath the tree in which they'd slept, and turned around with a few pieces in hand to start the blaze anew, but she nearly dropped the whole armload when she noticed her mother's change of position. Curled up, one hand behind her head, facing the Prince and the other of her hands in his. She liked to had a heart-attack, as they would say in the Southern US. She crept up next to her mother, and poked her in the shoulder with one of her claws gently, hesitantly, trying to wake her up and being afraid to do so at the same time. She pulled her left hand from his grip to swat her away in sleepy annoyance, but the lack of contact between the two was all she needed to regain her confidence.

"Mom! Time to get up already!" she finally yelled. The woman startled, shooting up into a sitting position, and most of their comrades followed, shocked at the outburst. Kagome's unnerved look confused Gin to no end, but she decided that asking about it could wait. Kagome cocked her ears at the woman questioningly, but silently. A glance in Korrare's direction, though, was all the indicator she need use. The ningen smiled softly.

"It was nothing. He had a nightmare."

* * *

**AN: Yes. It was fwuffy. But I don't think any of you will object to that, right? XP I think Gin and Korrare are a good pairing, myself. My writing style has changed a LOT in the four-five years it's been since I wrote this, so if it's not exactly your taste, that might be why. Keep a lookout on my profile; I have a lot of Inuyasha fics in the works, and there's no telling when a new one will show up. ^^ Anyway, enjoy~! Don't forget to R&R and visit my website!**


	17. Assassin

**Chapter 17- Assassin**

Korrare had obviously been on edge all morning. He remembered his nightmare vividly enough to still be scared by it. How many times did that make now? He couldn't remember, but once was certainly more than enough. Gin had been quiet as well, and he couldn't understand why. It was usually her quiet conversations with him that somehow allayed his fears of his younger sister; he was in desperate need of one of those conversations now.

"Hey, Korrare?"

He turned around to face Kagome. Her dark green and moonlight-colored eyes flashed with concern for him. Her ears were cocked in a curious manner. He nodded her the go-ahead.

"Can I talk to you? You know… elsewhere?" she asked again quietly. The Prince was surprised, but he nodded, and she led him a little way off the path that they were taking, but remained in sight of the others. She faced forward, and talked as they walked. "What is going on with you and my mother? You two seem on edge since last night."

"I didn't even know she was there until you woke us up this morning," he stated softly. His evergreen-colored bangs framed his face softly as he hung his head. "As for me, she told you correctly about the nightmare. I was remembering an incident from when I was a child. My sister… she was so powerful that by merely scratching you she could have you on your death-bed. It's as if your insides are frozen, and layer upon layer of ice forms within your body until your lungs have no room to expand and your heart has no room to beat. The pain is excruciating even for a full-blooded youkai; I would hate to think how painful it would be for a hanyou or human."

Kagome looked at him blankly; he could read nothing of her thoughts. Her ears twitched in various directions wildly, and she stopped walking. Her distant metallic eyes stared blankly into the trees. _I wonder what she's sensing…?_

"Let's get back to the others."

She was abrupt, suddenly dragging him toward the road they'd been traveling. It seemed now that she was the one 'on edge', as she'd put it. She quickly went to the front and whispered in her mate's ear softly. He, too, censored the forest discreetly.

_This isn't good. There's a strong barrier that's moving to follow us. Someone is stalking us nearby; we'd better stay on our toes; something may be about to happen._

He didn't know how right he was.

Swifter than imaginable, a figure shot from the trees, attacking the Prince and nearly slicing his head off in his passing. Korrare dodged to the side, only a fraction of a second before it would've been too late. With a quick flip, he removed a sword from its sheath and stood before Gin, waiting till the figure attacked again. Kirara transformed to stand by Sango and Miroku, and Kagome readied her bow. Inuyasha drew his Tetsusaiga.

They were ready for a fight to equal Naraku's final moments.

The shadowed persona walked silently from the thicket, slowly letting himself emerge into the sunlight. The Price gave a deep, guttural growl as the man smirked at him. A youkai.

"My Prince, it has been long since our last meeting," he stated, his words laced delicately with venom, his claws twitching with his desire for battle. Korrare spat at him in disgust.

"Not long enough, I assure you."

The group waited, their breaths quiet, their hearts pounding. The youkai's hair was red like garnets, and his eyes of deepest azure. Korrare was obviously apprehensive by his scent; he knew him. Kagome's eyes trailed over him, and noted the apparel of a high-ranking officer; perhaps even a General of sorts, though the armor was light. She felt something from within him… something that made her shiver. Was it… malice? Hatred? It was something she had felt before, she was sure…

"Why are you here, Hakuro? Is my little sister too afraid to face me herself?" the young Prince spat, his stance shifted as he waited for the fight to begin. The youkai chuckled, his claws twitching violently, desirous to begin.

"Lady Kaira? Afraid? The smallest scratch from her as a child nearly killed you, Korrare; why should she fear you now?"

One movement, one arm jerked back behind him to strike the tree, and a giant oak was felled. Gin gasped as Korrare hurriedly snatched her up and leapt out of the way. The group scattered, and became hidden in the woods. Hakuro himself was hidden in the eruption of dirt that fogged about the road. A dead silence ensued the crash. Breaths were held and heartbeats shushed within their bodies. Who would strike first? Would it be Korrare? Gin tried desperately not to cough as dust entered her lungs, and instead the tang of salt mixed with her scent. Restraining the sound for so long, her eyes had begun to tear from holding the foreign substance within her body.

Hakuro hid within the limbs of the fallen tree, surveying the swirling fog for a shadow to indicate the approach of his enemy. His target.

And out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of white.

* * *

**AN: Yup. It's back again. So amazing how quickly my reposting is going these days~ Don't forget to review!**


	18. Gin's Close Secret

**Chapter18- Gin's Close Secret**

Hakuro launched himself through the fog at his target, his movements almost void of sound and swift as the wind itself. But his attack missed. Before him, there was now a thirty-foot crater in the forest floor. In a matter of seconds, a threatening pair of claws was at his throat, a guttural growl accompanying spoken word.

"Next time, you'd be smart to make sure you were actually aiming for the right target, assassin. Even then, it isn't too very wise to attack an inu hanyou."

Inuyasha's claws pressed tightly over the war-youkai's throat, drawing just the slightest bit of blood as he threatened to thrust them into his jugular. The scent of fear was slowly seeping into his being, beginning to taint his smell of blood and soil further. Korrare emerged from the underbrush, his magenta eyes glowering with contempt.

"Hakuro, for many years you were faithful to my father, and encouraged me in the honorable and noble ways of the samurai; why have you switched to my sister's side when you know full-well that she is the one who poisoned him?" he asked ruefully, staring into the orbs the cornered youkai. Surprisingly, his eyes softened.

"You know the ways of a tyrant, Korrare. Your sister meets them, every one. She threatened my family; I couldn't let them be killed, but I knew that I was not near strong enough to fight back. I gave her my alliance, but did not suspect that she would send me to directly attack you when you began to draw near once again." He heaved a sigh. "I am willing to die at your hand on the charge of treason, milord."

The group sat in silence for a few minutes. An unwilling servant? It seemed a likely story, but those with the keener senses of the group knew that he was telling the truth. A samurai had a code of honor to follow: if he went against that code by lying, his scent would've spiked with some emotion that would indicate his falsehood. Korrare shook his head, sighing, as though in defeat.

"No. For so long Hakuro… you and I were brothers in battle. When I was in danger, it was you who rescued me, no matter how close to death's door it put you. When I was scared, you made me laugh and forget my worries. When I was sad, you comforted me and helped me understand that for an honorable warrior, the afterlife was better than life itself. Why would I slay an unwilling servant that I know is loyal to me when I have need of him most?"

Gin emerged from the underbrush to stand beside him, and Kagome followed suit, moving to stand just to the left of Hakuro, her skeptical white-gold and evergreen eyes watching him discreetly. Sango and Miroku remained hidden, just in case he tried something. It was a surprise when Kagome's mother spoke to him. She walked forward to stand tall before him, her chocolate gaze meeting his of deep ruby.

"Sadness is a memory that lasts while you bear its thought; Happiness is a reality that is all around you, but that you must choose to accept." He stared at her in a shocked daze. That… that was something that…

"That was… what my father told me… and I told… and I told it to Korrare after his first battle!" She nodded sagely at his response, her hand deftly pushing away her son-in-law's clawed hand. Her fingers wiped away the little bit of blood that trickled down his neck.

"My late husband told me that just before he died. It's what helped me be strong for my children." She did not elaborate.

_You don't remember… but… we've met before. You always were his Brother in Battle, Hakuro; you, and Inuyasha. My daughter's love was one that transcended time. Now mine shall, as well. It's been ten long years, Korrare-koishii. I've missed you._

_

* * *

**AN: Here it is, enjoy it while you can. Don't forget to review and visit my website!**_


	19. Forgotten Memory

**Chapter 19- A Forgotten Memory**

Gin remained strangely quiet the whole evening. Her normally sweet and serene cocoa gaze had turned into a hard, dark stare; the light tone darkened by shadows and then highlighted with the burning hues of the camp's nighttime fire. Had her gaze been fire, it would've out-burned the sizable blaze they now surrounded. A small, cool breeze toyed with her short curls, sending them into undulating, hypnotic waves.

Korrare was indeed hypnotized by her. Many things were flying through his mind at the moment. How had she known that saying? Why was she so quiet? Was something wrong? There was no fear in her, no anger, nothing that would show him what to do. He suddenly gave himself a mental shake.

_Stop it, Korrare! Just stop! You're fretting over her like she's your mate or something!_ His magenta eyes widened a bit at how he was thinking of her. Mate… the word seemed to fit her so beautifully… seemed so perfect for her in his ears. It was insane! He could _not _be falling in love with a woman he only just met, no matter how wonderful she seemed!

Too bad his body was already acting without his permission.

While he had been so thoroughly caught up in his thoughts of how _wrong _it was, his body had disobeyed a direct order and made its way over to her side, propping a white-clad leg behind her as he stared at her silhouette barely lit by the dancing pyre. She remained quiet, and leaned into him, resting her head and a hand on his chest and breathing in his scent deeply. He sat now in silent shock. She… she was so calm… it was as if they had done this before, as if it was something familiar…! He struggled to comprehend what was happening to him, and for a brief moment he even wondered if the attractive miko had placed a spell or seal on him of some sort; but there was no sense of magic in the air, save for that in the auras of she, her daughter, the monk, and the rosary beads around Inuyasha's neck. He vaguely wondered why he wore such a trinket, but the thought was a fleeting one. For a moment, a beautiful, soft sound met his ears; a gentle, unfamiliar melody. She was humming something, her face scrunched a bit in concentration.

"Kagome, what _is _the name of that song?" she mumbled, just barely loud enough for the girl hanyou across the fire to hear. She glanced up; the blaze making her eyes flashed black and gold rather than their familiar hues. She seemed to think on it for a moment before answering.

"_Affections Touching across Time_ I think it what is. I haven't listened to that song in forever… it seemed to always remind me of you and Dad, though. I never could understand why…" She trailed off into a thought- or perhaps it was a memory? – and did not continue for a moment. She shook her head. "Personally, I always liked _Dearest_. Dunno why."

It seemed that only Inuyasha of their group understood what the two were talking about, but they let it go.

Half an hour of silence came and went, in which the fire died down to a smoldering glow, Sango and Miroku fell asleep, and Kagome and Inuyasha went on a short check of the forest before they, too, allowed themselves to slumber a bit in the nighttime hours. Hakuro stood at a silent watch at the edge of the camp perched on a low sycamore branch. Korrare leaned against the base of another sizable trunk, his eyes closed softly in a light sleep, Gin at his side.

* * *

Dawn came slowly, and their bodies awakened to the sun's gentler prompting with ease. Sleep had been light; they barely trusted themselves to sleep at all with Kaira seeking their deaths. A gentle probing pulled Korrare from his slumber; Inuyasha shaking his shoulder softly out of respect. His glance went to Gin, and he understood. As the silvery-haired hanyou turned to go, he ran his claws through her hair carefully, pushing it away from her eyes as he called.

"Gin-san… Gin-san, it's time to get up."

She mumbled something incoherent, even to his sharp ears at their closeness, and buried her head further into his chest before finally pulling back and rubbing her eyes. For a moment, she was dazed and disoriented, but when she finally got her bearings, she was alright. She adjusted her lavender-tinted haori and smoothed her deep violet pants before standing and dusting herself off. She greeted him good morning and made her way to her daughter's backpack. She was in desperate need of a toothbrush.

Kagome came back excited. A little further than she and Inuyasha had scouted the night before, there was, of all things, a hot spring. The suggestion of a bath was eagerly jumped on by all three women, and at their insistence, the boys agreed that later, they too would clean themselves up.

Gin draped her kimono over one of the boulders that surrounded the small, steaming pool, and stepped in lightly. It felt good in the cooler northern atmosphere, even though the heat seemed a little more intense than usual due to their cold limbs. She sighed, sinking beneath the surface and sifting her fingers through her hair lazily, delighting in how soft it felt in the foggy tide. When she surfaced, her daughter smiled at her, understanding the feeling of relief after a long journey. The older woman grinned.

"Now I understand why the first thing you always did when you came back was take a bath," she joked. Kagome nodded, her nose dipping under the water as she did so because of her close proximity to the surface. They were a silent trio, Kagome, Gin and Sango. The taijiya had been strangely quiet as of late, seeming to always be lost in thought. Kagome was rather relived for the lack of conversation, though. Silence was something there had been a terrible lack of since this newest journey had been dropped on them. The Inu-Miko rolled her shoulders against the boulder behind her, scratching her skin's surface, whether to free them of dirt or to do so simply because it felt good, she wasn't sure. Her thoughts drifted to wondering after her friends, the ones she hadn't seen in a long time. People like Nezuna and others that they hadn't known for long, but had become comfortable companions. And no matter that it was only several days before that she'd seen Kouga and Ayame in the future; she hadn't seen them in a couple of weeks here in the Feudal era! And what of the shape-shifting Kerushi and Sesshoumaru? What had become of them? Inuyasha had told her about the crystallite rose that his brother had supposedly received as a gift, and that it was Kerushi within the heart of the bloom, but after they'd left there'd been no contact with them. Had they returned to the castle of Inuyasha's father? Or were they again traveling to some unknown destination? An image of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru together entered her mind, and she wondered at how much they looked alike, though neither would ever admit to it. They were so much alike… it had to be something that they got from their father.

Their father… she'd often wondered about her own father. Just in the furthest reaches of her mind could she grasp some semblance of a memory. He had died when she was about six, and her memories from the time were sketchy. He'd been tall, and his hair was dark. Though… she remembered that his eyes were some lighter shade that she couldn't quite recollect. Had they been… red? No, no quite that dark. It was something else…

"Kagome? Is something wrong?"

She glance up into the magenta tainted eyes of her taijiya sister. Shaking her head, she followed the other two women out of the hot-spring, drying off and redressing herself in the soft gi and kimono that her mate had procured when this had first come about. When they got back to camp, Shippou was sharpening and polishing his tops, Korrare was talking quietly with Hakuro and Inuyasha, and Miroku was… taking a nap, thanks to a rather large pair of goose-eggs on his head. Poor thing. Sango examined the bumps with a lazy eye before turning the glance upon the other three men.

"So who bestowed him the gifts this time?"

Hakuro, sitting between the other two boys, had one claw pointing in each direction. "One was courtesy of Korrare-sama, the other of Inuyasha-sama."

As a surprise to them all, Gin laughed. When she finally noticed the looks on their faces, she acted as if she had no clue why they were staring at her, giving them an innocent, "What?"

They shook their heads, and the boys began to head for the hot-spring, Inuyasha dragging the unconscious monk along behind him. Before they were completely out of sight, Kagome saw Korrare send a backward glance in their direction, and the funny thing was… his eyes seemed familiar…

* * *

The wind whipped through his hair as he made his way through the trees, holding her in his arms tightly. They had to… they had to get away. Their daughter would be safe with her grandfather until dawn, or so he hoped. What a mistake it had been to summon a doctor for the birthing! He would never make such a mistake again. The man had seen him for the youkai he truly was, had been able to… to see through the bracelet that hid his true likeness from the world around him. Oh, how things had gone so wrong; how was he to know that descendants of the taijiya clans still lived and practiced? At this very moment, he, his mate and newborn son were being followed by him. What could he do? What? As a last-ditch effort, he backtracked and hid the two in a small hollow of an old oak, and went to lead him away again. He wasn't following a scent or a trail; he was following the youki that surrounded his prey. To his horror, his daughter, no more than six years old, had followed him.

"Daddy! Daddy, that man is after me! Why is he trying to hurt us?" she begged, her eyes filled with tears. He'd shushed her, shoving her into the crevice with her mother just before the 'doctor' made his way through the trees, an old samurai-sword clutched expertly in his right hand.

From the hollow, little Kagome watched as her father lost his life at the hands of a Slayer, and her mother watched as the Slayer lost his life at the hands of her daughter.

* * *

**AN: Well, isn't it lovely? Only five chapters to go, people! I went back and counted this time. ^^ Please look forward to the next chapter, and don't forget to review!**


	20. Father's Avenger

**Chapter 20- Father's Avenger**

When the boys returned from the hot-spring, they were shocked to find Gin desperately trying to awake Kagome. She was asleep, it seemed, and she called out in horror and anguish as the nightmare plagued her. Inuyasha raced to her side as Korrare pulled the distraught mother away. The silver-haired inu pulled his mate to him, cradling her head against his chest softly and whispering something quietly in youkai. She refused to settle. He looked up in distress, and suddenly, a feral cry ripped from her throat; a desperate, pleading call for someone that only her youkai companions could understand.

_Father…!_

Gin's head snapped up from her struggle with the tai-youkai, her chocolate eyes suddenly gleaming with horror. Immediately, she spun to look up into the eyes of the man who withheld her from her daughter's side, her voice commanding when she spoke.

"Korrare, go to her! You are the only one who can put a stop to this!" she snapped, her tone leaving him no room for argument, though he did protest his misunderstanding. Her gaze hardened and crackled with an enraged fire. "Trust me to know more about my daughter than you do!"

It was like the hot sting of a whip on his back, that expression, that tone. He released her, and moved to the teen haninu's side, taking her gently from the arms of her mate. It was without warning, and shocking, when her body stiffened as he pulled her closer, and even more shocking when her nose buried into his chest, her body completely relaxing in his grasp. He couldn't understand; the scent of man she barely knew was something that gave her more comfort than the very man she had chosen to love forever? It was good to see her unfocused, fog-covered eyes open to look up into his worried gaze, but… as her eyes widened, her sight returning sharper and sharper, she shocked them.

"Daddy!"

* * *

Lady Kaira looked to the setting sun, a beautiful picture she could see from a window above her garden. The skies were stained red like blood, and the clouds were tainted with a rain-colored violet. Sunsets… she rather preferred dusk, when everything was at long last cast into her beloved shadows. When the wolves would howl to the full moon, and the owls and whippoorwills would at last sing their dark and brooding song. When the songbirds would shush their ceaseless bright tunes, and at last the lonely calls of the night could sooth her tainted soul. She hated the light, the sun, the daytime; it was the very bane of her existence that she had to live in such a world where light was what gave her people their subsistence. The nights when the moon had shown full for so long had been a time of great rejoicing in her heart; the full moon reigned eternal in the night; she had hoped for it to rule day eternally as well.

"Milady…?" a servant questioned quietly from the shadows. Her head shifted just the tiniest bit to show that she would listen to what it was he had to say. He was scared; his scent reeked of fear. "It seems… it seems, milady, that Hakuro-sama has betrayed you and allied himself with the traitor Korrare and his band!"

She stiffened, and turned to him slowly, rigidly, her porcelain skin tainting orange and her blood-red eyes seeming to give off an unearthly glow as her glare landed on him. In one, deft motion, the man was beheaded.

A feral screech of a command echoed through the palace walls, and her first lieutenant was at her side before the echo of its rage-filled call had died away. She turned to him, running her blood-covered right claw down his throat gently, careful not to cut him. Her voice remained low, feral and enraged.

"Bring me the heads of Korrare and Hakuro on a _platter_, and if you so much as _think _someone is planning treasonous acts, execute him where he stands, am I understood?" she growled to him. Fear began to roll off of him in waves, and he gulped hard at the charge.

"Perfectly, ma'am. Crystal clear."

* * *

Kagome wouldn't stop staring at Korrare, her eyes vivid with every emotion known to man and youkai alike, and even then there were ones with which they weren't familiar. It had taken a couple of hours before she would even let him _go_; it seemed she was so convinced the youkai was her father. Gin had said nothing on the matter, her refusal to comment only compounding the confusion. Inuyasha watched his mate in worry from his perch in the tree above her. What could he do? At last, he sighed, dropping down from his perch to sit next to the Inu-Miko. It was time for some answers.

"Kagome?" A single, evergreen-tipped ear flicked in his direction. He was slightly discouraged that she did not look at him, but continued. "Kagome, what happened… what happened to your father? In the future?"

She stiffened. Her eyes glassed over. He was afraid for a moment that something was wrong with her, but her voice came out soft and timid when she spoke.

"I… can't… remember. Daddy died after the mean doctor tried to kill Souta…" she murmured, her voice very childish, as though she had returned to that young age somehow. He looked up worriedly at Gin, and could see her resolve was weakening. "At the house, Gramps was afraid that something had happened to Mommy, and I didn't want the mean doctor to hurt my little brother, so I went and found Daddy. He was scared and shoved me into a tree with Mommy and baby Souta, and…"

"And that was the night her father lost his life to the hands of the Slayer, and the night the spell first weakened on her."

The group looked up to Gin in shock. Her eyes were flooded with tears, and they spilled down her face in cascades as she gazed forlornly at her daughter.

"She avenged her father. It was the night of her first kill."

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**AN: ~ Well, there's your update. I had a weekend during last time and this time, and unlike people who update on the weekend, I'm actually less busy during the week itself. XP So here's your update. It's almost over~ *is happy* Don't forget to review~**


	21. Heartbreak

**Chapter 21- Heartbreak**

Little Kagome watched as the Slayer crudely slashed her fathers head off with a sword and stood there above his body, gloating over it. It was horrific, and even this could not describe the sight of her father's head laying in a pool of blood, staining his evergreen hair with liquid garnet. His white kimono, faded and stained by the years, was already beginning to soak up the life that had run through the body it covered, and it was steadily fading to dark earthy brown at the edges where it dried. Hot tears fell from her eyes, and her small hands fisted in anger. How dare he?! How dare he kill her father?! The anger boiled inside of her belly like a burning dragon's fire, threatening to engulf him in a wild flame of unadulterated rage. Despite her mother's frantic whispers, she left the protection of the hollow. His countenance, marred with hatred, turned upon her, and he grimaced in distasted when he noticed her there and saw the resemblance between she and the dead body at his feet.

"Tell me, was this _beast _your father?" he spat. She nodded silently, deliberately, and he laughed. "Half-blooded wench; you are even more a defilement of this world than your bastard father!"

She lunged at him, her speed, despite her age and dominant human blood, surprising him. Her tiny hands wrapped around his neck, her fingernails glowing a dangerous shade of garnet. Her nails grew and sharpened, becoming the claws she was truly meant to have. Her rage clouded her vision, and when at last she could see again, her claws had pieced his skin, and the poison flowed through glowing veins, showing as it slowly killed him within binding layers of ice.

* * *

The group was silent as Gin finished relating the tale. Kagome felt a single, silent tear fall down her cheek to splatter on the dirt. Korrare was pale in fright. Sango shivered, and Miroku hugged her closer in an effort to comfort her. Could it be that she was as dangerous a hanyou as she was a priestess?

The Inu-Miko didn't know what to do. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry… she wanted to be afraid of what she had done. Her heart was like stone; the tear had been for the story, but there had been no memory, no connection… no nothing. It was sadness for some other little girl whose father had been slain before her eyes. She wanted to feel every pain and hurt, but there was nothing there, it seemed, to feel.

Inuyasha encircled her waist with his arm, drawing her closer. His claws dug into her side softly, telling her that he was there for her no matter what. What could he say? If he told her he understood, it would be a lie; she who was so pure of heart that the Shikon Jewel was in her protection, had killed someone as a child and could not remember for there to be scars on her heart, though it was for her father's death she did it. He pulled her into him, embracing her firmly and nuzzling her hair.

Gin hugged herself, the memories coming back in a painful, heavy current. She had buried them long ago, but she had known that one day… one day, her daughter would know about this death. Oh! If only she could have anticipated this! Was it possible that her child's pain was the greater? She was grateful when warm arms and familiar strength encompassed her, drawing her against a strong chest. Her glazed eyes met with deep magenta, swirled with worry and tainted with care.

_Oh, beloved, I'm so sorry. I did not wish to scare you so…_ Her thoughts took this course, though she had known that it would scare anyone to know their demise. Though perhaps destiny would be kind now; he knew what would happen; from this, could he not die in such a way? Fate was whimsical; perhaps it would be kind. She heard her daughter murmur something from across the fire, and turned to look at her, noting that the silver-gold and deep green of her eyes flashed gold and red in the fire's light, and that they were drowned in fear. She cradled her claws insecurely next to her chest.

_The dawn, it breaks,_

_I'm still drifting,_

_Drifting away._

_The fog's still here;_

_I'm lost in the gray,_

_Please, I beg you, help me find my way…_

The soft, though upbeat tune, drifted across the camp, showing for how frightened the young haninu maiden was of her past. Gin smiled over at her as she lifted her head sullenly. Her daughter's fear was good; she would, at least, not act irrationally.

* * *

Kagome slept fitfully within Inuyasha's arms that night, her dreams trying to tell her something that, every time she woke up, would simply disappear, leaving her with the knowledge that she was being warned, but that the warning could not be remembered. As the night waned, and the tiniest taint of violet began to touch the eastern horizon, she could feel it at last.

Youki.

And they were surrounded.

* * *

**AN: Yup, here's the next one. Don't forget to review!**


	22. Shadow

**Chapter 22- Shadow**

Kagome was silent and unmoving. If she even _twitched _wrong, she knew that they would know she was awake, if they didn't already. What movement could she make that wouldn't let them know…?

She could risk it…

Turning over gently, and breathing in deeply as she buried her muzzle in Inuyasha's chest, she whimpered a bit, acting as though she were having a bad dream.

"Inuyasha… sit."

His eyes flung open just in time to see himself say good morning to the ground, and Kagome clung to the limb as if still asleep. Thankfully, just as he was about to throw a tantrum, he was able to sense it as well. Korrare was awake, but quiet, his eyes still closed and an arm protectively embracing Gin, and Hakuro was watching from a higher limb, his eyes barely cracked open enough to see. Miroku and Sango, too, were alerted to the presence of the newcomers. Shippou and Gin, though, remained asleep and unawares. Inuyasha cursed under his breath, something further into the sailor's vocabulary than any one person (rather, any person at all) should know. Inuyasha acted as if nothing was wrong; he was going to let them make the first move, since it seemed that these were youkai that were well-ranked, but did not emanate physical prowess. He made a move to start a morning fire…

It was subtle and quick. Thinking that everyone else had remained asleep and unawares to his movements, one of them had entered the camp behind the teen and quickly struck him with a set of deadly talons, the silvery-haired hanyou dodging out of the way in enough time for the damage to be minimal. This caused a final eruption.

The entirety of the group, about twenty-five to thirty lithe, skilled youkai shot from the underbrush in a wave attack. Three quickly fell to Sango's Hiraikotsu, though only with drastic injury, another two to Korrare and Hakuro, and a third to Miroku. Gin and Shippou were quickly hidden in a nearby tree away from the fighting. Kagome's eyes searched the group quickly. She was the only one who remained away from the fighting who could do any certain damage. They seemed… to have forgotten her presence. They withdrew enough that their backs were to the outside edge of the small clearing in which they had been encamped, her comrades quickly putting their backs together in the center for protection. A man, youthful, seeming to be no older than Inuyasha or herself with pale golden hair and magenta, though almost pink eyes, moved away from the shadows in which he had been ensconced. His kimono was every bit as dark green as Kagome's, if not deeper, though the fabric was not as rich. Obviously, he was the one she had been looking for. His eyes blazed with hurt and hatred.

"By order of our great lady, Kaira-sama, those known as Hakuro, the former General of the Northern Forces, and Korrare, former Crown Prince of the Northern Lands, are to be executed, and their heads brought to her Ladyship as the proof of that action. Have you any last words?" he asked calmly, coolly, emotionlessly, though his eyes were pyres of resentment. The perfect gentleman, with taints of rogue. The perfect businessman, with a bit of cunning.

The perfect assassin, and only a touch of compassion?

Kagome continued to watch from the branch, consciously moderating her breaths to make it seem as though she were asleep to anyone listening. Strangely, her mate was silent; the lack of his usual confidence, no matter how brash, was dearly missed. The boy snorted, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. His eyes lifted to meet Inuyasha's.

"I have no business with you or your motley band of thugs. Step away and leave these two traitors to us, lest you lose your lives with them," he said, motioning his head in a tight jerk for a few of his men to come forward and take the two they desired. Inuyasha shifted his stance, showing that there was no backing away. He shrugged again half-heartedly. "Very well. Your graves will be unmarked, I am afraid, though your heads will not go to waste."

He hardly had the words past his lips when two of his strongest struck at Sango and Miroku, one suddenly dashing a casing of some sort to the ground, erupting with a tainted miasma. The taijiya gasped in the foul air in pain as one of them struck an injury. Her mind fogged, and Miroku grabbed her, and pulled her away from their fearsome attacks, doing his best with only his staff to work with. Inuyasha, also, had bee instantly engaged in battle, three of the, seemingly less experienced, youkai taking him on at once. The rest had flooded Korrare and Hakuro, their leader standing by idly and awaiting the finished task. All Kagome could do was wait for an opportunity to attack. If she revealed herself, she would be of no use as a weapon.

There had to be some way she could do something…

At last, she knew a weapon that she could use. A little spell she had learned from Kaede, in case she ever had need to subdue another youkai or hanyou without the help of a rosary. She sat up, placing her hands over her heart and watching as the young leader's gaze turned to land on her. His eyes were burning with something that she couldn't quite name, but she continued staring into the beautiful pink orbs.

"Joh-inu kare joh-haninu kare joh-nin…" she murmured over and over again, watching as his body began to pulse. His eyes widened in fear and realization, but somehow he could not look away from her. The battle slowed to a stop as he pulsated, his form rigid. Kagome repeated the phrase louder, and all the youkai pulsated, though unfortunately, so did those of her companions.

In moments, all those present that were once youkai, were now human.

* * *

Sango, Miroku, Kagome and Gin had the entirety of their squadron bound hand and foot within a short while, as they were too afraid to move due to their lack of… how was one to put it? Their lack of familiar youkai blood. That was the only way the Inu-Miko could think to explain it. Lacking their familiar strength and never having been in a human body before, they were naturally freaking out, ne?

Inuyasha grumped in one corner of the camp, and Shippou and Kirara were busy testing their human bodies. Thankfully, when they had transformed they weren't completely bare. It seemed that Kirara, now creamy-haired and blue-eyed, had retained a short yukata made of her familiar fur, and Shippou's clothes had grown with him, since he was now about Souta's height. She sniggered as Miroku glanced at Kirara again, and the cat girl hissed at him menacingly. The youkai- er, human- wasn't going to forget the way he treated pretty women any time soon.

"All of them have been given food and water, and their weapons have been safely stored in your bag, Kagome-sama," Kirara said, stumbling a bit over the words, familiar with human speech and meaning, but unused to speaking. The haninu smiled at her apologetically.

"Arigato, Kirara-chan. Is Inuyasha still-?"

"Grousing? Yup."

* * *

Kagome, fixing a late lunch, glanced up into the eyes of the young leader again. He stared at her coolly and defiantly, practically daring her to do or say something. She sighed, calling over her comrades and handing them bowls of the thick stew to take to the captives. She herself tended to the leader.

"So, you're the commanding lieutenant?" the young haninu asked him softly. He nodded solemnly as she lifted the bowl to his lips. He was half-starved, or so it felt, and accepted the food, though he made so sign of being grateful. He was still wary, wondering when they planned to execute them in this pathetic and frail form. Her eyes softened for him, and he looked up at her in surprise. "What's your name?"

He was silent. She was about to continue on, assuming that he would not tell her, when he did, suddenly, speak.

"Kage. My name is Kage, after my father, Kazekage."

She stilled, and looked to him again. He seemed wary of her, but confused, as well; as though he had expected her to be bloodthirsty and merciless. She smiled, lifting the bowl for him to finish it off.

"Kage-kun… I am glad that you have calmed down."

Kagome stood and turned away, filling the bowl again to take it to another, leaving the shocked young man to his thoughts.

_When Kaira-sama briefed me, she said they were cunning and sadistic, and that once I was in their grasp they would either kill me or lure me to their ranks. What is this that I feel from her? It's like an… an indescribable __**purity**__ of some sort… She would have to be a priestess to put such a spell over my men and I, and a priestess would do us no harm, would she? The man that seems so close to the taijiya is a monk, as well. Why would two such people be in league with each other?_ His thoughts were interrupted.

"Mama! Are there any others that I need to get to?" the Inu-Miko inquired. Gin shook her head, smiling.

"No, Kagome. Why don't you and Inuyasha take their leader down by the river and have a talk? I'm sure that he's a reasonable man, by the way he was looking at you earlier," the woman said, coming closer to murmur that last part in her daughter's ear. Her small dog-ears, still perfectly in tact, perked at the idea, their dark-green hue flashing a bit in the afternoon sun. She nodded enthusiastically.

"Yo! Inuyasha, quit grousing!" she called, practically skipping to the young lieutenant's side. "Oi, Kage! You wanna come talk with us?"

She was positively _glowing_ with excitement, it would seem. He really couldn't understand why. Still, he nodded hesitantly, and she quickly hauled him up on her shoulder. "Inu-koibito! C'mon!"

_KOIBITO?!_

Kage nearly fainted. That ill-tempered hanyou was her sweetheart? This gentle, caring creature loved that… that… _ruffian?!_ He was almost appalled at the aspect as she lightly transported him, propping him gently against a giant oak next to the nearby river. The light reflected on the water, sending rainbow-like images across the surrounding woods, flitting across the light barks like a breeze, and lingering on the dark ones like butterflies. The ningen came and perched himself next to the boy carefully, flipping a stray lock of black hair back over his shoulder. She pouted. He was still grousing.

"Who are you?"

The two turned to look at him in surprise. Kagome ran over the past events, knowing that he had heard their names several times. She remembered, though, that in these times they still kept up with who people were from their clan names, and was upset with herself for not thinking of it before.

"Higurashi Kagome. This is my mate, Inuyasha, son of Inu no Taisho, former Lord of the Western Lands."

It seemed as though Kage were shocked speechless. She glanced over the dark-haired ningen wonderingly for a moment, and decided that she could understand a little; his brash manner, lackadaisical fighting style and half-human heritage isn't what you'd expect from a prince.

_Wait a minute… what was that thought back there?! Prince?! _(_Kagome does anime fall_)

The boys looked on at her for a minute, completely lost as to what was wrong. Though when she did erect herself, and they asked, she said that her thoughts had "taken a serious left turn," which left them even more confused then before. Kage looked at Inuyasha.

"Is this her normal?"

"Unfortunately."

"Inu-kun, sit."

(_Crash, accompanied by earthquake_)

Kage twitched uncomfortably. His glance carried over the woods as the two yelled at each other, and the shadows seemed alive in the summer breeze that carried the scents of food and flowers through the air to him. It seemed so perfect for what had happened only just that morning.

_/Flashback/_

"Kage-niichan! C'mon! Play with me!" begged a little girl a few years younger than he. Only eight years old, yet the boy was a diligent student of swordsmanship. He shook his head.

"No, Akuma; I have to practice. Maybe later, okay?"

_/End Flashback/_

_And… I never did play with her. She died the next day… when… when Kaira-sama came to take me away and train me as her second in command…_ His thought trailed off as his human eyes, dull as they were, perceived a shine from within the undergrowth on the other side of the river. He watched it silently, waiting to see if he could catch a glimmer of it once again. There! He was sure of it now.

"Kagome-sama, I believe that you might wish to revert your mate back to his hanyou form if you do not desire us, your prisoners, loosed. There is someone bearing a sword in the undergrowth 'cross the river yonder," he murmured to her. She did not turn away from them to see, acting as if she hadn't even heard him, but her ears shifted atop her raven mane, shimmering in their hidden evergreen taint as the sun flashed across their surface. They flicked in irritancy, and she got up, walking to the water's edge and getting a drink, hiding the fact that she inhaled deeply as she did so.

Youkai. Only one. But very dangerous. And her scent was near the same as her father's. She smiled surreptitiously in her hand, turning back to her mate. He was curious about her sudden silence, but curiosity was something he always hid. She lifted his chin between two of her fingers, making a seal with the other.

"Ningen-re gokare hanyou-re, rena kan gohakan," she murmured. A heat, not unlike fire and yet somehow different, burned through his flesh, searing through him dangerously. He gasped at the rush of pain, as if his skin was being torn off from the inside out. Kagome continued to hold the seal a minute more. His hair faded, the oppressing black lightening to thundercloud grey, and further to a dirty white, before once again flashing, as though suddenly illuminated, its vivacious silver. His eyes shifted like a cloud, fading and changing before they, too, were suddenly illuminated by their true jasmine hue. He nearly fainted when the pain oh-so-suddenly disappeared. Human bodies were, after all, very weak. But he caught himself.

"Man, Kagome… that hurt!"

"I know." She shrugged, turning back to the river as though nothing had happened. A vein pulsed on his forehead in anger of her flippant manner. "You'll live. I think."

He paused at the "I think." She wasn't supposed to kill him, right?! He was distressed for a split second, but noticed that her eyes darted over to the opposite bank. Was she talking about what Kage had said earlier? She hadn't completely disregarded it? A discrete sniff in the direction she seemed to gaze at showed that it was true; someone was there. It had to be a certain Princess that they were looking for. He was apprehensive. She was downwind; she would smell it.

"Kagome, I think we should get back to camp," a murmured. A silent nod was her assent. Besides, they would need to warn the rest of their companions.

And change Kirara back, to boot…

Inuyasha hauled Kage onto his shoulder and threw a glance at her again before tuning back for camp. Once well inside the tree-line, they made a break for it. The faster they got there, the faster they could prepare for the coming attack. The small glade, barely big enough for their own group, much less a platoon or so of soldiers, was reached quickly, and the moment Inuyasha dropped Kage to the ground, he slit the bonds that held him.

"If you don't wanna die, you'd better either run or help, 'cause if you fight against us, I won't have any qualms," the haninu told him, quickly going over and relating the drastic turn to his companions. Kagome wasted no time in returning Kirara to her youkai form, though she used a completely different spell, later telling them that it would enable the neko to return to her humanoid state if she so desired, and then proceeded to his side.

"Kage, you follow Kaira's orders for what reason I do not know, but this I say: fight with us, and we will protect you and those you love always!" she whispered quickly, chanting yet another strange spell and flooding his body with pain. When he could once again see the claws on his hands and the natural pale-gold of his loosed tresses, he looked up into her kind, though intense, eyes in thanks. Suddenly, though, his ears caught an all-too-familiar sound. Quickly grabbing Kagome, his jump took them about fifty feet in the air, landing at Inuyasha's side some twenty-five feet away.

Two kunai were embedded in the tree.

"She's here."

* * *

**AN: Lalalalala~ Yup, here's the new one. ^^ Only two more chapters, peeps! So stay with it for just a little bit longer~ Or at least I hope you will. T_T This IS an ooooold story after all. I started writing it when I was... 13, I think? Whatever. It's pretty near the beginning of my fanfiction career. Yeah. It qualifies as ancient history, almost. At any rate, I hope you enjoy it.**

**Please review, and visit my website for exciting updates~!**


	23. Princess of Disaster

**Chapter 23- Princess of Disaster**

Their company waited, every eye of human, youkai and hanyou alike on the place in the underbrush from whence they could sense the shadowed being, the thrill of bloodlust like an aura around her as much as the scent of blood that mixed with hatred. A thin, lithe form, no more than a silhouette against the trees, was walking slowly towards them, soundless step by soundless step. The blood roared in their ears at the forest's unnatural silence. Kagome braced herself.

And it came quickly.

The light-blue blades flew from the scrub, similar to the Dance of Kagura's blades and yet so much like Inuyasha's Blades of Blood. They rolled across the ground with the crack of thunder and the whistle of a blizzard, and many of Kage's comrades were not swift enough to avoid the onslaught. All they could do was watch as their helpless forms were carved by the howling blades. The next attack followed when the wind had barely settled, and its screeching was the greater, it's form as though the blades had been woven into a net with which to capture them. Again, the blood spattered against the trees and earth, as the troops again were decimated. Before them, the silhouette became clearer: a woman of purest, unscarred skin, her hair more raven than shadows and her eyes the color of dried blood.

She was beautiful. She was perfect. She was deadly.

As listlessly as one would wave smoke away from a flame, she brought her palm up from her side, pulling it through the air as though she beckoned them approach, and again the otherworldly blades danced across the ground. The last of Kage's force was completely annihilated. Deadly eyes graced the wood about her, and everywhere her glance landed, she seemed to look into the very soul of the ones there that remained unseen. A thin smile graced her, and she ran a clawed hand through her hair, careful of the talons so near her own scalp.

"Korrare, such a weak defense? Surely you plan more than that tiny defeat for your final moments," she taunted, her eyes looking up into a nearby tree, seeing his hidden form in the shadows. A barely perceptible shudder ran through his body as he clutched Gin closer to him. She frowned. "And with a human no less. You've degraded yourself even further than I expected, taking a ningen concubine. I would never have thought it of one who held his position in such high regard."

She wrinkled her delicate nose in distaste. Korrare was hard pressed not to strike irrationally, for such a comment about the woman; she was not his concubine, and should never have been called such a horror! Human as she was, he couldn't have cared less, he found himself admitting.

He loved her.

A strangled growl met his lungs, and she giggled sadistically at the sound.

"How quaint; the would-be king has defiled himself with a human whore, since his kingdom was not allowed him. Impertinent, aren't you, big brother?" she taunted again, her eyes flickering between rage and cunning, baiting him, waiting. After all, she knew him well; he was a hot-head, and his temper barely in existence, especially when it was concerning those close to him. It was a joy to feel the rage building up in his aura. "How pathetic that I cannot have the joy of seeing her face while I show her your slowly dying body; it would've been so wondrous, that incredibly rare scent of hatred and sorrow and fear…!"

Gin curled her fingers into the snowy white cloth of the Prince's kimono, begging him with her mind not to grow impatient. She didn't know what to expect of him then; he was much different from when she knew him, those five hundred years into the future.

Unknown, so it would seem, even to the Princess, Kagome's lithe form moved just out of her range, silent, barren footsteps treading lightly across the ground as she methodically made her way downwind of her, which also happened to be behind that majestic form of hers. The youkai in her was indignant at how careless she was, allowing the wind to take away the scents from her weak point instead of taking them to her. The mistake would cost her dearly. She crouched, waiting, making sure that the woman was unawares. A few steps at a time, she moved a little closer. Just a few feet more…!

"Kagome! Get out of the way!"

He couldn't reach her in time. That attack… all Kaira had had to do was tossed her hand listlessly behind her and it had launched the deadly blades once again. She had known Kagome was there all along. Kagome, almost as if slow motion had been turned on, was helpless to do anything as the attack hurtled at her. Her mate screamed for her to run, but her fear had simply destroyed any ability for such. She knew she was going to die. Her heartbeat quickened, roaring in her ears, the only sound beyond the screaming of the blades that met her, and before her world went black, she felt a familiar arm embrace her once again…

* * *

The dust was settling. Inuyasha felt hot tears stinging at his eyes. He hadn't been able to do anything… anything at all for her. Though, a familiar presence lighted beside him, and he swung about quickly, golden-amber clashing against pale jade. Kerushi. She smiled at him softly, placing a hand on his shoulder and directing her gaze across the way to a tree just outside the area of devastation, and hidden in its leaves he could just make out the form of his elder brother. He felt like he was going to faint; that was the _second _time that man had managed to save Kagome in his place. This was getting _really_ old. Kaira looked displeased.

"Hast thou no manners, whoever you be? Your scent indicates you are of noble birth; is it not youkai code that one is not to take another's prey?" she asked brusquely of the unfamiliar form.

"Hast thou no tact, my lady?" he returned, mocking her. "If thou know the code of youkai, and are of noble birth as your scent also indicates, you should also know that it has ill-effect on relations with other lands when you try to kill their noblewomen."

She scoffed at him daintily. "That dirty little half-breed? Surely you jest, good lord."

"No, my lady; she is the mate of my younger brother."

The tiniest, un-lady-like growl emitted from her in frustration.

"Who are you, pray tell? Name yourself," she commanded. It was a rather foolhardy action, it seemed, but the white-haired tai-youkai revealed himself to her as if no threat were present.

"I am Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands and Firstborn of Inutaisho."

For a moment, though it barely flickered there as a butterfly's shadow or a trick of light, she face-faulted, revealing something between reverence and rage. He stared at her coolly, Kagome clutched to him gently as though a dear little sister had been harmed. His eyes, like frozen sunshine, seemed almost to glow their tainted youkai red in the dusky lights. She was ruffled. Whether that would prove her end or theirs only time would tell.

"And your reason for coming to this place, my lord?" she asked stiffly. "Your lands are far from here; this is the Northern Territories, and my realm."

He smirked at her deviously.

"Nay, but it is in your possession by ill-gain. After all, I knew your father even as a child, and knew also that Korrare was the one to whom the throne would pass," he related casually. Her hands fisted, but still she was careful of her claws. A simple scratch and there would be no escaping her death. "Other than this, you should note that the leader of this band, the one called Inuyasha, is the younger brother of which I spoke."

She snapped. Breakneck speed brought her to his side in a near instant, and she attacked him, her claws attempting to bury themselves in his throat. His pace though, was quicker and more trained than her own; he jumped, landing and sliding back several yards away. Kerushi leaped from her place next to her best friend and took the limp miko from him. Inuyasha readied himself as Kaira made a dash for his elder brother once again. One more step…

He attacked her, his Sankon Tessou ripping towards her form. For the briefest of moments, her head shot around to view the impending attack, and then…

Nothingness. The golden blades passed, and there was nothing to be seen there other than the abused earth and the felled trees. He searched for her frantically; he knew she'd noted the direction from which his attack had originated. And just as he was about to make a run for it, he was stopped by a pair of perfectly handled talons.

"You would strike a lady, half-breed? Even if you are of noble birth, you are unworthy of your title as a youkai prince, as my dear brother is," she seethed to him, her voice a sadistic purr. Her fingers twitched in anticipation, seeming to find the prospective of bloodshed tantalizing. Those claws desire blood; it was as though the feeling was an addiction. It had to be; they reeked of it. His eyes barely wavered just a fraction of an inch to his mate, the only thought he let to pass through his head being that he was thankful for her safety. But he was not about to give up.

"What, no offer for a last request?" he asked softly. He could feel that she was both shocked and outraged by the comment. But then, a smirk crossed her face; if a man liked a bit of sadist in his girl, that look would've made him melt. It was a consent. Gently, he reached for the Tetsusaiga, but she stopped him, a look of absolute hatred in her eyes.

"I didn't say that request would allow you my stupidity."

He sighed, and partially removed the sword from its sheath, showing her the blade's rusty condition. Obviously, she found it amusing. The silvery-haired man slipped it back into the saya, and tossed it to his brother. It was a slight surprise; at long last, after the desire for that katana had long left him, he was able to hold it. The barrier was of none effect. He stared at it quietly, and looked back up into the eyes of his brother.

He understood. There was only one way.

Kerushi choked back a cry as she watched perfect claws sink beneath the boy's skin, but could not restrain the tears when she watched as slowly but surely he was frozen, ice layering over and over again inside his body, tainting his fine skin a sickly hue. Gin sobbed into her lover's shirt, fear and despair presenting themselves, unwavering. Kaira suddenly released her claws from his body, allowing it to fall…

In a single motion, Sesshoumaru withdrew the Tenseiga and killed the hellish minions that had set themselves up his brother's body. In one instant, Inuyasha turned and attacked the Princess before she could even register what had happened. In moments, blood was gushing from a shoulder wound, and dripping down her kimono from a series of scratches on her neck. Inuyasha retreated to the side of his sibling. She stared at him in disbelief.

No one had ever dared strike her. She could _not_ let this pass. Her body pulsated. A deadly beat, sending waves of rage into the air.

The time of Reckoning was near.

* * *

_(Kagome's P.O.V.)_

The rage and youki filling the air was fearful. I couldn't quite understand what was happening, but it seemed… as if my body was floating somehow. For the longest time, I couldn't feel anything, but then just the faintest hint of heat registered on my senses. I was almost positive that it was a pair of arms, though who's they were I didn't know. I was sure that it was neither my mate nor Sesshoumaru, and it didn't smell like my father, either. The scent was so vague… like smelling something that wasn't really there, if that was possible. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt so heavy… as if I needed to rest myself just a little longer…

Blood.

It was… Sesshoumaru's, I was almost sure. And salt, apart from the metallic salty scent of the first substance, and it was the familiar tang of tears. Who was this person that was protecting me? I could feel my body change arms, and… this scent… it was Hakuro, wasn't it? I didn't know, but I was still desperate to wake up. They were in danger. My mate and son were in danger. They _needed me_. I was trying…

A new scent. One of perfect familiarity. It was the Tetsusaiga.

Stained with blood and smelling of Inuyasha and his father, tainted with youki and traces of the Wind Scar, it was a perfect smell that couldn't be found elsewhere. The Tetsusaiga was near me. At last, I could open my eyes.

And before me, black as evil incarnate and twice as powerful, was a great dog. I was sure beyond any doubt that it was Kaira in her true form. The Tetsusaiga rested on the ground next to me, and as I'd thought, it was Hakuro-san that was now holding me, crouched beneath the underbrush away from the fight. I wanted to move. I wanted to say something. Anything at all. But still my limbs felt like lead weights, and I was helpless, having to watch as deadly attacks were thrown from the giant inu towards my beloved and others so close to me. The sword… I looked at it longingly, but there was no longer the ability for me to touch it. I was completely paralyzed. There was barely any feeling to be found in the entirety of my body, but as I looked down at myself, I noticed a small scratch on my shoulder concealed by the edge of my gi. The flesh around it was an icy blue, and the blood that still trickled from there had become almost black, though it was only dark purple. I had been poisoned. I tried again to speak, and finally managed to croak out a quiet sentence.

"Hakuro, my shoulder… use… Shikon…"

He looked down at me in shock, his eyes riveted on me for a few startled seconds before he realized what I'd said. Hesitating, and more than likely thinking of what Inuyasha would do when he found out, he pushed my gi and haori off my shoulder, revealing the gruesome mark. Careful claws pulled the Jewel from beneath my clothing, and I was almost sure I saw him shudder at the thoughts he was having, and he pressed it against the wound.

I couldn't help but gasp in pain. The purifying flow raced through my body like a sudden adrenaline rush, addicting but painful all at once. I grasped the sacred object next to my shoulder as the man helped me to sit up once again. I drew it away once the pain subsided, and I remembered again that there was only one way that I could defeat this enemy. Only one way. Standing, I turned away from him and cupped the jewel in my hand, closing my eyes.

_Please, my Jewel of Four Souls, grant my wish…_

Inuyasha dodged yet another brutal attack, barely managing to make his way to another place before she struck again. He launched an attack while she went after his brother, his claws finally able to strike, driving deep beneath her fur and drawing blood. It matted her fur quickly, and she snarled at him.

"Inuyasha."

He swung around, and nearly jumped for joy at the sight of his mate, but noticing what she was doing there was what stopped him. Kagome held out the Tetsusaiga for him, her eyes emotionless yet in a strange sense commanding. He took it.

"When I give the word, we attack together. Use the Kaze no Kizu. Just trust me."

He would have to. Seconds later, she disappeared into the underbrush, and he followed suit. When his eyes were back on the battle, he could clearly see the forms of Sesshoumaru, Kage, Korrare and Hakuro, and a strange winged feline which he assumed to be Kerushi, fighting desperately and gaining little ground against the great dog. As suddenly as if a signal had been given, all of them pulled back. Without warning from the opposite side of the clearing, Kagome attacked, a strange fang in her hands that was similar to the Tetsusaiga, yet different. The fur on it was black instead of white. Even with this quick analysis, he was right on time.

"Kaze no Kizu!"

"Yume no Kizu!"

And with this, the enormous black body was shattered.

* * *

**AN: Okay, my goal was to repost all of my reposts by the end of November, and I didn't quite make it. Sorry. T_T But I NEARLY made it! There's only ONE CHAPTER TO GO after this one! *grins* I'm happy to see this story come to an end again. But it's not the end of the Inuyasha fanfiction I have. Put me on alert, because at some point, I really WILL finally post "Pulling Strings" and "Still Here." The summaries for those stories can be found on the "Map Writers" profile on here, so go look; they promise to be some of my best work!**

**REVIEW, PEEPS~!**


	24. True Heir

**Chapter 24- True Heir**

"Chidori, be careful!"

"Hai!"

Kerushi settled lightly next to Kagome on the river bank, a heavy sigh escaping her lips at the carefree child. She has the same silver hair as her father, but the pale jade eyes of her mother were the ones she always wore. Amongst the shrubbery and other foliage that arrayed the wildly beautiful garden, a small river filled with glistening rocks, pyrite and precious gems flowed, and in it played the younger ones of the palace. Shippou, who was now quite nearing the height of his adoptive father, despite his only being about 14, was having a rollicking time in a water fight with Kohaku, who was now nearing 19 and quite handsome, though still quiet as always. Souta was now an impressive 17, and every bit as rogue, dangerous and annoying as his brother-in-law. Seven years in the Sengoku Jidai can do that to you.

Kagome thought back through the past. Yes, it had been seven years ago nearly to date that she had brought her family through the well and the spell had broken on her true form. Her ears twitched at a sudden giggle from her companion, who had quite comfortably settled into a mostly-permanent inu-youkai form. Their daughters, Chidori and Akita, who had done as Chidori, taking after her father's hair color of brilliant silver and her mother's eyes of evergreen and moon-gold, had thoroughly dunked Souta and Kohaku both at the same time, though Akita had borrowed help from her big brother in doing so to her uncle. They sputtered objections, but they fell on deaf ears.

That sword was now considered one of the three great fang-blades, the one that she'd used on Kaira, that the Shikon no Tama had given her. Even now, it was at her side, it's sheath hand-crafted for her by Totosai in a black sheen that glinted silver like her tresses. Kurayume was its name, meaning Dark Dream. Her companions had questioned her so much about the events afterward that some of the questions she was still answering now, all these years later.

After the battle, Sesshoumaru had been kind enough to resurrect the fallen soldiers, with only one look from his mate. They had then returned to the palace that was her father's home. Korrare and Gin were married soon after, in the way of the humans, but he refused the throne that he was heir to, saying that not he, but Kagome, his daughter, was the True Heir, and that it was she who was destined to rule until their time in the era of Feudal Lords and fortresses and castles was extinguished. So now, the Northern and Western Lands were no longer beneath a peace treaty, but were almost the same land, and the people of them feared not to travel between them. Turns out that Inuyasha was quite the fair Lord, and was very considerate and kind when need be. They were all quickly changing the perceptions of human and youkai alike, and the word was spread far and wide, so it seemed, that their castle, and the old taijiya village in the mountains where Sango, Miroku and Kohaku had returned, were refuge of hanyou who needed it.

The villages of their lands had become known for having the best crops in all Japan; there was never any need to worry about droughts or lack of water of any sort, for it meant little effort on Kerushi's part to remedy it. Once desolate lands that had been laid fallow by centuries of bloodshed were returned in their former glory with the help of the shape-shifter's sword as well; strange, she said, that she had waited so long to find its natural ability, the ability to restore something to its true form. The lands were once pure, and thus they were purified. She had even found that she was able to restore her mate's arm.

So, it seemed, everything had come out just right in the end. Two great kingdoms were united. Humans were steadily becoming more receptive to youkai, and vice verse. Hanyou were no longer rejects of society. It seemed as though all wrongs had been set right…

"Shippou-niichan! No fair!" Chidori squealed as the boy used his fox-magic to heat the water beyond a bearable point, forcing her and the others to get out. He shook his soaked mane, pulled back in the manner that Kohaku always wore his, and chuckled.

"You earned it, imouto. Actually, you've _had it coming_, maybe I should say!"

The half-dog half-shape-shifter pouted cutely.

"Chi-chan! Oniichan! C'mon, the water feels _really_ good!" Akita called, splashing around and searching the bottom with her feet. She liked to look for rubies in the stream, as they were the least common. She squeaked suddenly, as Kohaku surprised her by sneaking up behind her and tickling her. "Kohaku-nii! C- cut it- _cut it out!_"

"Kagome! Bring 'em in, lunch is ready!" she heard her mate call. But she barely had time to glance back at the stream, only to find Kohaku and Shippou still getting out, and barely able to catch a glimmer of two sets of silver tresses shooting by. "Never mind; they're already fighting."

She chuckled. So cliché. Hopefully it wouldn't take another Naraku to make them forget their differences permanently.

As they sat around the low table, eating and drinking and simply enjoying life, Kagome's mind wandered back to the future she had once had. At fifteen, she'd been thinking about what college she was going to attend, whether or not she was going to participate in the school's exchange student program, and how to get the most popular guy in school, Hojo, to notice her. And here, seven years later, her plans were completely different. Tomorrow, she was going to a conference with Kerushi and Sango to talk to that lord that had once proposed to the taijiya. Kurenosuke, wasn't it? And after that, she and her mate were negotiating an alliance with the Panther tribe. And… well… she _did_ have to tell him sooner or later…

She was going to have another child. Maybe even two.

The Inu-Miko barely restrained a giggle. Soon-to-be mother of four, and at fifteen she'd still planned to be very single and in college. The thought was a little comical. At fifteen, she hadn't expected to fall down an ancient well, discover she was one of the most powerful mikos to ever live, fall in love with a hanyou, adopt a youkai, be a sister to a monk and demon exterminator and become a hanyou princess, either. And all she had to do was pet a pair of soft, white ears. Then and there, she was sure, was when her future did, at long last, crash.

She smiled, though. After all, she couldn't ask for a better life. This life that was given her by a secret, Miko's Heart.

* * *

**AN: There ya go~! Yes, I'm from the Southern US. At any rate, this is the last chapter of "A Miko's Secret Heart"! I hope you've enjoyed this really MEGA old story that I started when I was like, 13. So, yeah, it's about five years old. Six. Something like that. SO. This is the last of my reposts! Unless someone from the Beyblade category asks me to repost that one other Beyblade story that I haven't reposted yet.**

**At any rate! For those who want more Inuyasha goodiness that you can't find on this account, go to my other account, MAP WRITERS. Yup, Map Writers. That's my other account on here. So read, enjoy, and above ALL... *drum roll***

**REVIEW!**


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